School Probes Chaos Described By Substitute
PHOENIX -- Glendale Elementary School District officials confirmed Wednesday that substitute teacher Tony Hill did work in at least three of their schools this year, including Harold W. Smith elementary on March 8. That substitute assignment prompted Hill to write an email to Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce.
The email criticized Hispanic students, saying that they were more interested in becoming gangsters than getting an education. In the email, Hill also said that the students he taught refused to stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance, called white Americans racist and threw textbooks at each other.
That email was read on the Senate floor last week during debate on an immigration bill. The reading of the email started a firestorm and prompted Latino lawmakers to demand an apology from Pearce and the senator who read the email, claiming it was inflammatory and offensive.
On Wednesday, Jim Cummings, a spokesman for GESD, said district administrators launched an inquiry into the allegations in the email.
"We do not believe in any way shape or form that the things that he said in his email are reflective of what our school is all about and the behavior of our students. Most of these kids we’ve had since kindergarten. They grew up here. We know them. We have them for 180 days a year. He was in here for one day. We know better," said Cummings.
Cummings said the district talked with students in the classroom that day and none of them remembered making or hearing any of the inflammatory statements attributed to them by Hill. He added that the students also said they stood for the daily recital of the pledge.
Hill filled out an exit form the day he substituted at Smith Elementary. On it he noted that the students followed directions poorly and did not act properly, but in the section where it asked for him to note any inappropriate behavior, Hill left that blank.
"The email that was read on the floor is a big fat lie. It’s wrong. It’s false.The fact is, in the teachers exit report, there was no statement that the students were throwing text books and ripping up the assignments and not wanting to stand for the pledge or wanted to be gang members. It’s a big fat lie," said Sen. Steve Gallardo, a member of the Latino Caucus.
Wednesday afternoon, Gallardo once again asked for an apology from Pearce and the other Republican senators who continued to defend Hill and his email.
Pearce said the only person who is owed an apology is Hill because he is being attacked and vilified for telling the truth. Pearce said he was disappointed that this rhetoric about a true and accurate email is continuing.
Republican Sen. Sylvia Allen, from Snowflake, echoed Pearce's comments saying just because Hill didn't report the student's behavior to the school or district does not mean it didn't happen.
"I can totally understand why he wouldn’t report it. Nowadays in political correctness, you dare not say some things if you ever want to teach again. And that’s probably why he didn’t report it. I think it’s wrong, on this floor, to be calling this man a liar and saying there’s no proof just because he didn’t fill out a report," said Allen.
Calls to Hill revealed his phone has been disconnected and he did not return emails reaching out to him for comment.
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