PHOENIX — On Tuesday, the Arizona Education Association (AEA) led a coalition of ten statewide labor unions and advocacy organizations in a letter urging members of the Arizona Senate to reject House Bill 2867 — an unprecedented bill that would strip Arizona public school educators of the professional liability standards that protect them from bad-faith lawsuits from outside groups. In recent weeks, more than a thousand Arizona educators and their allies have written to their legislators in opposition to HB 2867.
Organizations joining the letter include the CWA Arizona State Council, AFSCME, UFCW 99, SEIU, LUCHA, Worker Power, ADRC Action, Mi Familia Vota, and Arizona List.
“Under the guise of protecting students, House Bill 2867 establishes an unprecedented legal framework that strips Arizona public school educators of professional liability protections if they face accusations of antisemitism. The bill will make individual educators responsible for the full cost of their own legal defense, including in cases where they face false accusations. In a state where salaries are already too low, this bill will create a powerful disincentive to teach in Arizona,” the organizations wrote.
“Notably, the proposed framework is unique to antisemitism and does not extend to claims of racism, sexism, anti-LDS bias, Islamophobia, or other forms of bigotry. House Bill 2867 also does not cover incidents of antisemitism at private schools supported by taxpayer-funded vouchers. Arizona public school districts maintain robust disciplinary procedures for educators accused of bigotry and other wrongdoing. We are deeply concerned that the framework established in House Bill 2867 will transform classroom misunderstandings into costly legal battles, encourage disgruntled individuals to harass and extort educators, and push hard-working professionals out of the classroom,” the organizations continued.
“Every student in Arizona deserves to feel safe and welcome at school. We hope to work with you to broadly strengthen our state’s civil rights protections and make sure that children and educators have a bright future in our public schools,” the organizations concluded.
Read the Full Letter HERE