Education coalition urges Arizona lawmakers to reject HB 2867

The Arizona Education Association (AEA) is leading a coalition of 10 statewide labor unions and advocacy organizations to oppose House Bill 2867 — a dangerous bill that would leave Arizona educators vulnerable to bad-faith lawsuits from outside groups and political extremists.

In recent weeks, more than a thousand Arizona educators and community allies have written to their legislators in opposition to HB 2867. If the bill reaches Gov. Katie Hobbs, they will urge her to use her veto power to protect Arizona educators and schools. 

On May 6, AEA, CWA Arizona State Council, AFSCME, UFCW 99, SEIU, LUCHA, Worker Power, ADRC Action, Mi Familia Vota and Arizona List sent a letter to Gov. Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature laying out their concerns:

“Under the guise of protecting students, House Bill 2867 establishes an unprecedented legal framework that strips Arizona public school educators of professional liability protections if they face accusations of antisemitism. The bill will make individual educators responsible for the full cost of their own legal defense, including in cases where they face false accusations. In a state where salaries are already too low, this bill will create a powerful disincentive to teach in Arizona. 

Notably, the proposed framework is unique to antisemitism and does not extend to claims of racism, sexism, anti-LDS bias, Islamophobia, or other forms of bigotry. House Bill 2867 also does not cover incidents of antisemitism at private schools supported by taxpayer-funded vouchers. 

Arizona public school districts maintain robust disciplinary procedures for educators accused of bigotry and other wrongdoing. We are deeply concerned that the framework established in House Bill 2867 will transform classroom misunderstandings into costly legal battles, encourage disgruntled individuals to harass and extort educators, and push hard-working professionals out of the classroom. 

Every student in Arizona deserves to feel safe and welcome at school. We hope to work with you to broadly strengthen our state’s civil rights protections and make sure that children and educators have a bright future in our public schools.”

 The full letter can be viewed here.

Editor’s note: The Arizona Education Association is a state affiliate of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional employee organization. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.