SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The superintendent for Scottsdale Unified School District is facing calls to be fired, though many have come to his defense.
This all stems from comments Dr. Scott Menzel made in 2019 before he was in Scottsdale. Comments were known to SUSD before he was hired, where he has called for deeper discussions on racial equity in education.
But it's the context of those comments that matters.
Republican Representative, Joseph Chaplik, of Legislative District 3 spoke outside the Arizona State Capitol Thursday.
“In the aftermath of these words being made public, nationally, neither Scott Menzel nor the district has apologized,” Chaplik says.
He joins other Republicans who are upset saying Dr. Menzel called "White people" "problematic" back in a 2019 interview.
If you look at his actual comments, Menzel said, "There's a misperception that educational equity is really only for ethnically and racially diverse districts. But White people have racial identity as well, and in fact, problematic racial identity that we typically avoid.”
Menzel spoke specifically about problematic identity. But state lawmakers like Chaplik and Alexander Kolodin, who represent parts of Scottsdale, and Queen Creek Senator Jake Hoffman are calling for action.
Chaplik says, "Parents, district employees, and community members in Legislative District 3 and beyond in Scottsdale Unified, are scared and intimidated to speak up against the superintendent. So, we are here with no choice but to be their voice."
Arizona Democratic leaders see it much differently.
Democratic Senator, Christine Marsh, represents Legislative District 4. She says, “The circus that you witnessed earlier today is taking the place of the important legislative work that we are all elected to do."
Marsh was a teacher at SUSD for years. "It is wildly, wildly inappropriate for a legislature to impede on the local control of our elected governing board to call for Dr. Menzel's termination.”
The SUSD Board President, Julie Cieniawski, also stands by Dr. Menzel. She released a statement saying:
“In the State of Arizona, we recognize and honor local control. As Governing Board President of the District, I support the Superintendent as do the overwhelming majority of our community members who have publicly voiced this, many of whom spoke on his behalf at the Governing Board meeting on February 21, 2023.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction and some Legislative Representatives are abusing their power and official communication to target our District and its leader. Their claims are false and present more 'fringe theater.' Their attempts to end Dr. Menzel’s tenure with the District and his career are appalling.
I urge our state leaders to spend their time in our schools learning about the curriculum which is actually taught and advocating accordingly on behalf of our students and district employees. Arizona deserves a better example of leadership than what has been displayed by some of our state elected officials.
In our Scottsdale Unified School District, we will continue to focus our work on supporting our students. Won't you join me in living our district values of excellence, integrity, empathy, trust, inclusion, unity?”
The Phoenix Police Department is investigating threats one school board member said were made against her.
The school district released the following statement Thursday:
"Scottsdale Unified School District is focused on equity (defined as providing each student the supports they need to be successful as they move through our system) and creating a sense of belonging for all students. We will not allow outrage politics to distract from the really important work at hand of supporting the academic achievement of all students.
Dr. Menzel is a tireless advocate for each and every student. Any suggestion that he is racist is demonstrably false. Elected officials should focus their time, energy, and attention on approving a budget that properly funds our educational system and addresses the Aggregate Expenditure Limit."
The district's next slated meeting is a special session on Tuesday, March 7, at 6 p.m.
