When you don’t have the vocabulary to describe who you are, it’s hard to fit in. Peoria Unified School District special education teacher River Chunnui can relate to this.
Being a non-binary adult who uses the pronouns they/them, and as someone who came out as transgender only about three years ago, they know what it is like to struggle with the vocabulary of one’s identity.
Chunnui said they bring that sensibility into their work with children in the public school system, where LGBTQ students are more likely to experience victimization, violence and suicidality, according to a CDC study released in 2020.
“When you are a young child, all you know is that you don’t fit in,” Chunnui said.
Chunnui’s openness regarding their gender identity has affected their life as a teacher, particularly this year amid heated rhetoric among some parents within the district attending school board meetings.
Chunnui has been publicly shamed, encountered damage to their personal property, experienced violence, harassing phone calls, emails, and social media messages accusing them of pedophilia and grooming children for sexual conduct, Chunnui said.
In response, educators, parents and students came together Aug. 23 in support of Chunnui and all transgender people.
About 40 people attended a rally featuring chants, songs and speeches by Chunnui as well as others at Calbrisa Park in Peoria. As the rally came to an end, Chunnui was moved to tears over the outpouring and support.
Chunnui said the gathering proves the power of community and thanked the teachers' union as well as the rest of the community for their backing.
“Nights like this give me tremendous hope — hope that as we come together across all backgrounds, beliefs and experiences, we can build a culture of radical inclusion, empathy and diversity,” Chunnui said. “By standing as one voice, we can create positive change for members of the LGBTQIA+ community here in our district, across Arizona and even nationally, change that affirms every person’s humanity, dignity and worth.”
Into The Culture Wars
For a few years now, some Peoria district residents have flooded the public comment section of school board meetings on various topics. But since the board voted against creating new policy regarding transgender students in bathrooms and locker rooms on April 27, the rhetoric has intesified.
Governing board members Heather Rooks and Rebecca Hill, who don't support biological boys in the girls bathroom and vise versa, often call on their constituents to attend board meetings and voice opposition to transgender students in bathrooms and locker rooms.
The claim also alleges incidents of violence and harassment against Chunnui, as well as violation of federal and state discrimination laws regarding their gender identity.
Peoria Unified, Rooks and Hill did not respond to questions regarding this claim.
The district did confirm they have received a copy of the claim.
Most recently, Chunnui said their car tire was slashed and car damaged in the parking lot of Desert Harbor Elementary School, Aug. 11.
At the Calbrisa Park rally, teacher union President Trina Berg said bullying is not OK— it isn’t tolerated with students and it should not be tolerated in adults.
“We have to stand up for each other. We can no longer be silent. Silence is accepting of other people who are trying to oppress our teachers, our students and our parents. It is time to be loud and be openly supportive and here for everyone,” Berg said. “There is no reason to be damaging someone’s property because you don’t like something about them.”
Singling Out
A focus of Chunnui’s notice of claim centers on the March 9 PUSD governing board meeting, when Rooks and Hill nearly scuttled the issuance of contracts for about 4,000 employees that would have included salary and benefits for the 2023-24 school year and led to the unemployment of those employees.
For Rooks and Hill, the contract fight was an effort to remove two teachers, one being Chunnui, even at the expense of affecting thousands of other teachers.
The notice of claim states Rooks’ and Hill’s attempt to single out and not renew Chunnui’s employment contract on the basis of their gender identity is “humiliating,” runs “afoul of Arizona statutes and the district’s own governing board policy,” and violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as the Arizona Civil Rights Act.
Chunnui is seeking damages in the amount of $50,000 from Peoria Unified and $1,000 each from Rooks and Hill.
The parties have until Oct. 12 to respond or further legal action could be taken.
Amber Gould, National Education Association director for Arizona and Greenway High School teacher, said acts like those alleged in Chunnui’s case should have consequences.
At the rally, she urged teachers to join the union to fight for racial and social justice, as well as to ensure curricula and classrooms are inclusive.
The union stands behind the LGBTQ+ community and supports Chunnui, Gould said.
“The fact that we have politicians that are using our students as political pawns in whatever messed up ideas they have for what our public schools should be like is frankly disgusting. ...We have governing board members that are attacking our educators. You know what that tells me? That tells me that this voice that we have right here, we need to rise up, we need to be even louder. We need to make sure we are bringing people together to make sure this voice is heard. We need to make sure that our schools are inclusive that our communities are inclusive and that we stand up against this hate that has taken a political form,” Gould said. “And you know how we do that? We do that by voting.”
Coming Out
Chunnui, 40, knew their gender identity their entire life but didn’t come out until about three years ago, at the age of 37. As a younger person, Chunnui struggled with fears of not being accepted.
“Being non-binary, its very difficult. In the '90s and 2000s, there wasn’t a vocabulary to define that,” they said. “There wasn’t a vocabulary to define that experience.”
Chunnui’s turning point came as more transgender representations surfaced in the media and in the community.
“In the queer community, I started seeing more people who identified just like me, and I knew that I wasn’t alone and I knew I wasn’t a one-off. I knew I was part of a community, a community within my community, a subcommunty, I guess,” Chunnui said. “So I felt safer. I felt like I had the vocabulary to define who I was.”
Chunnui said people should not face discrimination because of their gender identity.
“What we have experienced at board meetings and on campuses and perhaps even at our very own parking lots shows that there is still work to be done to ensure full equity, safety and justice for LGBTQIA students, teachers and staff,” they said. “I think the most important thing is to understand that I am human and that my gender identity plays no role in my classroom performance or my job.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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