INSIDE:
C O M M U N I T Y P. 2 5 | B U S I N E S S P. 3 3 | O P I N I O N P. 3 7 S P O R T S P. 4 0 | G E T O U T P. 4 3 | C L A S S I F I E D P. 4 8
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NEXT WEEK
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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FOCUSING ON GRIEF
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SCOTTISH GAMES
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@AhwatukeeFN
Teacher’s remarks bring the culture war to Kyrene Survey asks Kyrene 7th graders' sexual orientation ......................... See page 12
LABOR OF LOVE
@AhwatukeeFN |
T
he culture wars hit Kyrene School District last week after an audio clip of a portion of an Altadeña Middle School sixth-grade teacher’s classroom discussion about gender – specifically about boys and femininity – went viral. While Kyrene spokeswoman Erin Helm said
Toss CWC lawsuit, Club West course owner asks judge
the district is investigating the discussion that teacher Sara Adams had with a class, parents and grandparents took to social media and Altadeña’s phone lines as some protested the audio clip while others questioned its posting and whether it fairly represented her discussion. “Kyrene School District is aware of the audio clip being shared out of context on social media,” Helm said. “Kyrene takes any student or parent concern seriously and will always investigate those concerns. This matter will be addressed directly with the teacher and the impacted students and families.”
One of the angry adults is former state Rep. Jill Norgaard of Ahwatukee, a grandmother whose three children all graduated from Altadeña. She wrote Altadeña Principal Erica Modzelewski last Wednesday to say she was “disheartened” by the clip. “Is this in the Kyrene English curriculum or is this her personal agenda?” Norgaard wrote. “Do you condone this type of material in an English, or any, class? What is your time table for action? When should I expect that you will
Thunder rules
see KYRENE page 9
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
T
he owner of the Club West Golf Course last week asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Club West Conservancy against it and Shea Homes, saying it has no legal standing to “interfere with private agreements” related to its use and that it “fails to allege an actual” controversy anyway. The request filed by the Edge, comprising four men who bought the 162-acre site from Wilson Gee for $750,000 in 2019, is in response to a lawsuit the Conservancy filed in November against it and Shea Homes. Shea Homes has not filed a response, although typically defendants have 20 days to respond to a lawsuit in Superior Court. Two
see WEST page 16
Senior midfielder Luke Dotts hoists the trophy after the Desert Vista soccer team beat Chandler High last Thursday to win the 6A State Championship, repeating its last tournament triumph in 2018. For details, see page 40. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)
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