Casteel High School senior Tessa Chadwick speaks on behalf of assistant principal Shelamae Woodworth at the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board’s Feb. 12 meeting. About nine students or district staff spoke during public input at the meeting in support of Woodworth, who, along with four other educators, has been recommended for suspension, additional training or both after a state committee’s multi-day hearings on a 2021 teacher incident.
At the first regular board-meeting opportunity after state-level-recommended consequences were made public for five administrators over their alleged mishandling of accusations against a teacher, Chandler Unified School District students and staff spoke up on behalf of two of them who could be facing punishment soon.
About nine students or staff spoke positively about Casteel High School Assistant Principal Shelamae Woodworth during the public input portion of the CUSD board’s Feb. 12 meeting. Most of them, along with dozens more in attendance, wore red “I stand with Woodworth” T-shirts.
One speaker spoke positively about Craig Gilbert, a soon-retiring associate superintendent who also faces recommended consequences.
Students mostly stuck to positive remarks about Woodworth’s character and demeanor. Staff focused somewhat on Woodworth’s positive attributes, but also what it means for an educator to be disciplined harshly after the situation that led to recommended consequences.
A state committee’s hearings were held after the alleged mishandling of accusations against now-former Casteel High School theater arts teacher Patrick Power.
Recommended consequences have been issued by the Arizona Department of Education’s Professional Practices Advisory Committee against Woodworth, Gilbert, Jeff Filloon, Jayson Phillips and Ryan Ridenour. The PPAC recommended, after four days of hearings that ended Jan. 31, consequences for Woodworth that include a one-year suspension of certificates and “grooming” training.
Casteel High School counselor Jenna Shear speaks against the state-recommended consequences for assistant principal Shelamae Woodworth at the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board’s Feb. 12 meeting. About nine students or district staff spoke during public input at the meeting in support of Woodworth, who, along with four other educators, has been recommended for suspension, …
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Gilbert, whose end-of-year retirement was announced months ago, would receive a letter of censure with conditions and would need to complete the same grooming training.
Three-year suspensions are recommended for the other three administrators, who weren’t mentioned at the Feb. 12 board meeting and who didn’t appear to be in attendance.
Jenna Shear, a counselor at Casteel High School, said she’s concerned because to her knowledge, Woodworth had a limited role in an investigation.
“Shelamae was asked to assist in an investigation, not because she initiated it, but to help ensure female students felt comfortable speaking with male administrators, then stepped away while others completed the investigation,” Shear said. “Are we expected to disregard the chain of command to ensure every procedure is followed? If so, how can we do our jobs effectively?”
Gilbert received support from Rae Black, an English teacher at Chandler High School. She didn’t mentioned the investigation but thanked Gilbert for his efforts as a mentor and an advocate for students.
Near the end of a multi-school Black History Month celebration at the start of the meeting, one student mentioned Gilbert when mentioning “Black excellence” and achievement in various professions.
The Arizona State Board of Education’s next regular meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 24.
The series of incidents, according to parents who’ve spoken at board meetings, involve accusations that seem to focus on incidents in February and March of 2021. Five middle-school students told Ridenour — then an assistant principal at grades 7-12 Casteel — that Power, a technical theater teacher, was touching them in inappropriate ways.
When finally confronted, Power surrendered his educational credentials, effectively retiring. A series of accusations were then levied in the months and years that followed over student resource officer involvement in reporting the incidents and whether district administration took proper reporting steps.
“Grooming training” is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as designed to recognize “the warning signs in a phase that might be nonsexual and include the offender trying to move the relationship to a personal level.”
We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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