Amidst allegations of financial mismanagement and concerns over student safety, Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent Jeremy Calles defended his actions in a press conference Wednesday. The accusations came to light during a Joint Legislative Audit Committee meeting, leading to a unanimous vote for a special audit of the district. According to a news conference covered by AZFamily, Calles dismissed suggestions of any illegal activities on his part, asserting, "I have nothing to hide."
Calles' assertions were in response to testimony by former principal Felipe Mandurraga, which painted a picture of oversight leading to a teacher resigning with full benefits after an alleged inappropriate contact with a student. "What was shared with me is we had an incident with a teacher that was viewed as being overly familiar and were going to move forward with resignation and termination," Calles said as per AZFamily. However, Mandurraga alleges a more troubling scenario, where a teacher sent a shirtless photo to a female student and was subsequently let go without formal discipline, as detailed in a report by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Mandurraga also brought up an incident where a student, accused of bringing a weapon to school, was allowed to return to class shortly thereafter. Calles clarified that there was no concrete evidence of the student having a weapon on campus, and further explained, "The moment we start expelling students based on somebody said so, that’s a major issue," as mentioned on the FOX 10 Phoenix. The student in question, Calles admits, was later involved in an off-campus shooting, a detail that adds a complex layer to the debate over the handling of student safety within the district.
As part of his presser, Calles mentioned that he has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Rep. Matt Gress, who had sought clarification on Mandurraga's claims during the legislative committee meeting. The superintendent is gearing up for discussions with the auditor general later this month, and, despite the scrutiny, he remains confident no criminal activity will surface from the investigation. "Do I expect they’ll be able to find any criminal activity on me, no matter how hard they dig? No," Calles conveyed with confidence according to AZFamily.
The focus now shifts to the forthcoming special audit, slated for completion by January 2027. Calles assured his cooperation with the Arizona Auditor General's requests for documentation and maintained a stance that any non-conformity found in practices under his jurisdiction were a byproduct of innovative approaches rather than malfeasance.
