Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 76 No. 18
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NEWS...............4 Luke to honor essential workers with a flyover
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April 30, 2020
Mayor slammed by police union BY TOM SCANLON
Glendale Star Managing Editor
After a week that saw a police association slam him and two attempts to have his challenger kicked off the ballot fail, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers was undaunted. “I’m certainly prepared to fight to keep my job,” Weiers said. He faces challenger Michelle Robertson in the Aug. 4 primary. The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police sent out a press release April 23 criticizing Weiers for “falsely claiming the backing of public safety.” Sean Mattson, president of the organization, which represents more than 9,000 officers, acknowledged backing Weiers when he ran for mayor in 2016. But not this year. “Glendale has one of the highest crime rates in Arizona and it’s a dangerous place
sistently failed to give law enforcement the resources and support we need to fight crime for the taxpayers we serve.” Weiers said that characterization is false: “I think our officers are absolutely my No. 1 priority,” he said. “What this comes down to is a person incredibly upset over the decision by myself and the majority of council made to put resource officers in our schools to protect students,” Weiers said. Weiers said two years ago, the city was After challenges to her signatures failed, Michelle Robertson, left, will be on the Aug. 4 ballot against Mayor paying two police officers and two fireJerry Weiers, who was recently criticized by the Arizona fighters to be full-time union representaFraternal Order of Police. (Glendale Star file photos) tives. for residents and for our officers,” Mattson “We felt at the time we would be better said. off protecting students and teachers by tak“While our officers struggle to protect ing one firefighter and one police officer off residents, Mayor Weiers has been silent the union (positions) and putting them in when it matters. More to the point, he’s conSEE MAYOR PAGE 3
Teacher, Peoria Unified face lawsuit BY TOM SCANLON
FEATURES .... 16 Snakes alive! Watch out for rattlers on trails, homes
YOUTH.......................... 9 OPINION..................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 12 RELIGION ................... 14 FEATURES.................. 16 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 17
Glendale Star Managing Editor
A lawsuit alleges Peoria Unified School District allowed one of its teachers to openly practice “sexually predatory behavior and grooming.” A year ago, a Peoria Police detective interviewed teacher Ricky Ordway at the PUSD office in Glendale. The detective arrested Ordway and charged him with molesting multiple fifth-grade students at Sun Valley Elementary School, near the Glendale and Peoria border.
Ordway, 44, faces two dozen charges of molestation and sex abuse, with most of the crimes allegedly taking place between Aug. 1, 2018, and May 7, 2019. The criminal trial, originally scheduled for this month, was delayed until June 8. Last month, attorneys representing one of the alleged victims and her family filed a civil lawsuit against Ordway, PUSD and the city of Peoria. “As for monetary amount, we have not demanded anything as of yet,” said Nasser Abujbarah of Phillips Law Group, an attor-
ney representing the alleged victim. The civil suit holds the district culpable. “Ordway exhibited sexual predator behavior that was obvious to other employees and supervisors,” the suit alleges. “Employees/agents of (PUSD) observed Ricky Ordway ‘flirt’ with students between the ages of 9 and 10, buy them expensive gifts, have them sit on his lap and exhibit other behavior that no rational educator could deem as anything other than highly, grossly, inappropriate behavior.”
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SEE LAWSUIT PAGE 9