Peoria high school sex scandal: Governing board approves new principal

PEORIA, Ariz. - Student safety was top of mind at the Peoria Unified School District board meeting on July 16, and it was all tied to a teacher sex scandal, as two former high school teachers face allegations of sexual misconduct with the same male student.

The tense and emotional meeting took place mostly between board members, but several people also took advantage of public comment, which was not allowed at the special board meeting last week.

The backstory:

The board meeting comes a week after the Peoria Police Department wrapped up a search warrant of the school district administration offices. The search was in relation to the sexual misconduct allegations against two former Centennial High School teachers, Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka, who are accused of sexually abusing the same male student.

Beck was fired from the district after the allegations became public, and Burlaka resigned. Police recommended charges against both of the former teachers, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the cases.

What Happened At The Meeting:

At the meeting, Centennial High Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Darien Schoolcraft was recommended as the new principal for Centennial High, the school at the center of this scandal, and all of the speakers shared support for the choice.

But then, board member Heather Rooks spoke up, citing a February 2025 email raising concerns over Beck’s conduct with a student, in which Schoolcraft was CC'ed. Rooks said she did not feel adequately informed, due to the recent search warrant execution, and wanted to wait for the vote until the investigation is complete.

Board member Janelle Bowles shared those sentiments, but the ultimate vote was 3-2 in favor of the appointment.

What they're saying:

During public comment, there was a mixed response over handling of this scandal, and how to move forward.

"We need an extra layer of protection for kids. We have mandatory reporting, teachers go through that training every year, the system probably can be improved perhaps but we also know that students don't report so how are we going to empower them to report that abuse?" one speaker said.

Another commenter stated, "Finding problems is easy. I work with board members who are good at finding problems. Finding solutions is hard. It takes work and it takes collaboration and you should try it sometime."

"Something did happen to one of our students and now our district is being torn apart by individuals who need more people to blame," a third speaker said.

Other Developments:

Also discussed at the meeting was a letter sent out from the U.S. Secretary of Education to school districts across the country criticizing a pattern of credible sexual abuse and harassment going uninvestigated.

While the school district was not directly named in the letter, PUSD Superintendent Tahyla Visintainer sent out a response letter saying in part that the district does not tolerate, minimize or delay action on credible allegations and spoke on that tonight.

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