Mother-Daughter Board Members Retaliate after Horne Demands Resignations

Cartwright Elementary School District board members, Lydia and Cassandra Hernandez, are pushing back against Maryvale High School after the Phoenix school accused the pair of “smuggling” a boxcutter onto school grounds on Monday, August 25, 2025. The school alleges that the incident took place a week after a knife-wielding student tragically murdered another student. According to Phoenix Union High School District, Lydia was filming her mother, Cassandra, passing through the metal detector with a boxcutter in her purse in an attempt to “test” the school’s knife detection capabilities.

The outcry against the pair has been swift and loud, with multiple state leaders, including SPI Tom Horne, calling for the two school board members to resign. However, the Hernandezes have denied the district’s account of what occurred, with Cassandra going so far as denying she was even at the school that day.

In a public statement, the elder Hernandez said, “I was working an eight-hour shift August 25 at EOS Fitness at the time of this alleged incident and have the time cards and video footage from my employer to prove it.” She added, “Phoenix Union has recklessly sullied my name in an attempt to politicize the tragedy that occurred at Maryvale High School. Phoenix Union Superintendent Thea Andrade must be held to account and resign for reckless and defamatory actions of the district.”

Lydia Hernandez claims that the school’s description of the event is inaccurate, stating, “I call on Phoenix Union High School to release the surveillance video that will show I did not attempt to bring a boxcutter, let alone any type of weapon, into the school, nor attempt to test the security systems. Phoenix Union misrepresented what happened that day, and an independent investigation needs to occur to clear my name and hold those responsible for these lies to account.”

It’s unclear what actually took place that day, but the Arizona Globe will report on updates as they become available.