Former AZ Rep Accused of Death Threat Elected to School Board

Former Representative Leezah Sun’s time in the Arizona House of Representatives was short and controversial. Despite her legislative tenure ending under a cloud of scandal, Sun’s shocking return to public service is set for Jan 1, 2025, after running and winning an at-large seat on the Tolleson Union High School District board. The Arizona Globe first reported concerns about Sun’s alleged behavior on Nov 8, 2023, following her saga through her ouster and disciplinary measures undertaken by the House. By all accounts, Sun appeared to be down for the count until her surprise win in the Nov 5, 2024 general election.

My statement on the Tolleson Union School Board elections: Ready to fight like hell! Thank you, Tolleson Union community, from the bottom of my heart. 💛 pic.twitter.com/nUIYDRRuxb

— Rep. Leezah Sun LD22 (@Sun4AZ) November 12, 2024

Initially elected in 2022 to represent District 22—which includes parts of Avondale, Glendale, Tolleson, and West Phoenix—Sun’s political career quickly became overshadowed by misconduct allegations. She resigned from the House after the Arizona House Ethics Committee found she had violated House Rule 1 by displaying a pattern of disorderly behavior. The Ethics Committee, chaired by Republican Joseph Chaplik, investigated several incidents that led to her downfall, including the following:

Threatening Behavior at a Tucson Meeting: In August 2023, Sun reportedly made threatening remarks about Pilar Siwani, a lobbyist for the city of Tolleson, during a professional meeting at a Tucson Marriott. Witnesses testified that Sun stated she would “bitch slap” Siwani and “throw her off the balcony to kill her,” referring to the hotel’s two-story indoor balcony. While Sun denied making the death threat, she admitted to the first comment, dismissing it as dramatic and not serious. Despite her defense, the Ethics Committee found the testimony credible and concluded that she had indeed levied a death threat while acting in her official capacity.

Intervening in a Child Custody Case: Another incident occurred in June 2023 when Sun involved herself in a child custody exchange in a Dairy Queen parking lot. According to the report, Sun approached a custody supervisor attempting to facilitate a court-ordered transfer of four children to their father. Wearing her official House of Representatives name badge, Sun told the supervisor to “call it a day” and ignored repeated explanations that a court order had mandated the transfer. Sun escalated the confrontation by threatening to report the supervisor’s conduct to the Arizona attorney general. The Ethics Committee determined that her actions constituted an abuse of power, as she attempted to leverage her legislative position to interfere.

Intimidating a School Superintendent: In December 2022, just after her election but before taking office, Sun met with Tolleson Elementary School District Superintendent Roger Freeman to discuss legislative matters. According to Freeman, the meeting quickly turned into a series of lectures, with Sun criticizing the district’s operations. The meeting escalated further when Sun made a vague yet pointed remark that she would “investigate” Freeman. The committee found it an inappropriate use of authority to intimidate the superintendent.

Faced with mounting pressure and the likelihood of an expulsion vote, Sun resigned from the legislature on Jan 31, 2024. Elda Luna-Nájera, a social worker and the former president of the Tolleson Union High School District governing board, was sworn in to replace her on Mar 1, 2024. The seat appears jinxed because Luna-Nájera faced her own controversy after accusations of an inappropriate relationship with the district’s superintendent.

Tolleson Union High School District held a Special Meeting last night.

After Executive Session, a Motion to move that the Governing Board adopt findings regarding the investigation into Superintendent Jeremy Calles’ allegation of sexual harassment against Dr. Elda Luna-Najera.… pic.twitter.com/WPZvJhwYX9

— West Valley Jen (@WestValleyFams) September 24, 2024

Despite allegations of sexual harassment, Luna-Nájera won her reelection. It is unclear whether the House will seek disciplinary action against her.

While Sun’s legislative career ended on a controversial note, her new role on the Tolleson Union High School District board signals that she’s not done with public service—though whether this next chapter will avoid the turbulence of her past remains to be seen. Ironically, she is now on the advisory board where she allegedly threatened to investigate the Superintendent.