Diane Douglas says successor and sec. of state promote pedophilia

PHOENIX — Former Arizona public schools chief Diane Douglas accused her successor and the secretary of state of promoting pedophilia.

In a Facebook post last week, Douglas said she believed the “medically & scientifically accurate” sex education guidelines that current Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman supports are an effort to “get kids to be accepting of sex with adults.”

Douglas also said two pride flags Secretary of State Katie Hobbs hung briefly at the Capitol building late last month were promoting pedophilia.

“That’s deeply offensive and appalling, and in no way should this be acceptable,” Hoffman told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

This came after Hoffman proposed changing the state’s sex education guidelines to be medically and scientifically accurate. The changes were proposed during an Arizona State Board of Education meeting last month.

Hoffman said the proposed changes were meant to “clean up outdated language” that was at least 30 years old.

“I do think that our students deserve to have sex education that provides them with accurate information that empowers them to make good choices as they become young adults,” she said. “Unfortunately, people have twisted that terminology and have been spreading misinformation.”

School districts and charter schools use the state’s sex education guidelines to set curriculum. Parents can have their children opt in or out of the lessons.

The Arizona State Board of Education decided to let existing guidelines stand after parents, state lawmakers and advocates spent hours voicing their opposition to the proposed changes. Douglas was among those who spoke out against the changes.

“She had public comments about that, but I think she has taken it to an entirely different level of offensiveness,” Hoffman said, referring to Douglas’ Facebook post.

In the same Facebook post, Douglas also accused Hobbs of hanging a “pedephilia (sic) flag” at the Capitol building on June 28 along with “the homosexual flag.” She also alleged the LGBTQ community’s next move was to promote the “acceptance” for “pedaphilia (sic) then incest.”

Hobbs briefly hung two flags – the gay pride flag and the transgender pride flag – before they were taken down. Douglas later corrected that in her post.

“Nonetheless I stand by my original sentiments – stay AWAY from our children and keep the symbols of any and all specials interests off our Capitol,” Douglas added.

Hoffman called those comments by Douglas “incredibly damaging” and said it “further propels fear and discrimination against the LGBTQ community.”

“As someone who was formerly leading our public education system, I think she owes Arizonans and the students that she served an apology,” Hoffman said.

In a later post, Douglas said she stood by her comments.

“I stand by my original sentiments – that our children must not be sexualized in their schools by what is, in fact, inaccurate instruction of practices deemed ‘medically and scientifically accurate,’” she said. “My belief [is] that our Capitol building should not be used to display the symbols of any and all specials (sic) interests (sic) groups.”

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