Petersen Addresses New Luna-Nájera Misconduct

Freshman Democrat Rep. Luna-Nájera (D-22) caused the Tolleson District to pay nearly half a million dollars in a settlement after findings of sexual harassment and retaliation. The Arizona Globe previously reported that the Democrat faced sexual harassment allegations stemming from her former role as the Tolleson Union High School District board president and current member.

Yesterday, at midnight, the Governing Board announced a $450,000 settlement with Superintendent Jeremy Calles, resolving two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints. The board emphasized its commitment to “restoring fairness, accountability, and trust within our district.”

The Arizona Globe spoke to Senate President Warren Peterson on the matter. He indicated that he “would be surprised” if Luna-Nájera were around at the end of the legislative session. The Globe also confirmed that a House member would have to formally file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee to initiate an ethics review. To date, no member has filed such a complaint.

According to the statement of findings provided to the Arizona Sun-Times, “the current board also reviewed the findings of a sexual harassment investigation, which concluded that Dr. Elda Luna-Nájera, a current board member, was responsible for pursuing a physical relationship. These findings, improperly withheld by the previous board, demonstrate conduct unbecoming of a public official. Additionally, the same investigation revealed that Dr. Nájera exercised her authority as the swing vote to table the renewal of Superintendent Calles’s contract.”

The controversy began on October 31, 2024, when the previous school board voted 3–2 to hire Ernest Calderon to investigate complaints previously managed solely by the then-board president, bypassing standard HR procedures. This investigation followed a sexual harassment complaint filed by Superintendent Calles. The current board, led by President Leezah Sun, later deemed the investigation “retaliatory and unwarranted.” Sun herself previously resigned in disgrace from the legislature due to allegations of death threats against a Tolleson lobbyist (See previous story here).

On December 10, 2024, the school board voted 3–2 to require Superintendent Calles to work from home. This decision led him to file a second EEOC complaint alleging retaliation. The school board reinstated Calles to on-campus duties on January 3, 2025.

An internal investigation concluded that Luna-Nájera had pursued an inappropriate relationship with Superintendent Calles. The report also noted that she used her position to delay the renewal of Calles’s contract, actions viewed as retaliatory. The investigator recommended that Luna-Nájera step down as Board President to improve district governance.

The school board stated that it would not release the full sexual harassment report due to the sensitive nature of the evidence, including text messages and images. The board noted that this decision “ensures accountability while respecting the dignity of all parties involved.”

The settlement includes the renewal of Superintendent Calles’s contract.

To date, besides Peterson’s brief statement, no other Republican or Democrat member of the Arizona Legislature has addressed Rep. Luna-Nájera’s alleged misconduct.