Police investigating Valley high school teacher over book assignment

GILBERT, Ariz. — Within the first week of the school year, a Valley high school teacher was hit with serious allegations.

All from a book Brittany O’Neill assigned to her students.

“I had a parent accusing me of disseminating child pornography and being a groomer solely based on the approved literature being offered,” O’Neill said.

It was all discussed during a Higley Unified School District board meeting. During public comment, O’Neill spoke about the situation. She said she’s an English teacher at Williams Field High School and teaches an honors multicultural literature course. A dual enrollment college-level class that high schoolers can take as an elective and not necessary for graduation.

“These texts span across Asian, Arab, African and Native American literature, and range over the past century, with books that are expected to be at a college rigor,” O’Neill said.

The educator said these books were approved and followed the course description provided Chandler Gilbert Community College. However, during the first reading assignment, O’Neill said one of her student’s parents started harassing her about the book, allegedly threatening a lawsuit against her and attempting to get O’Neill fired.

“This parent had called other parents of students in my class, attempted to have the police open an investigation against me and spread lies about my course in an attempt to irrevocably damage my reputation, not only as an educator but as a human being,” she said.

Despite the controversy, O’Neill also claimed during the meeting that the student is still in her class.

That parent was also at the board meeting O’Neill said. He identified himself to 12News as Charles Villafranca.

“For my son to read a book that went against all of our teaching values in my home, my parental rights were stripped,” Villafranca said.

Villafranca claimed the book was sexually explicit and he did not receive a permission slip from O’Neill allowing their teen son to read the book. He alleges O’Neill violated a state statute that prevents public schools from providing students with sexually explicit material unless it’s for educational purposes and they get parental consent.

“I am not here to ban books. I am here to make sure that I a parent, have the right that is given to me under the law,” Villafranca said.

The concerned parent added he had forwarded this information to the Arizona Attorney General.

Others at the meeting also spoke about this topic. Bob Parrish a retired commander with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said he spoke about this same issue last school year when his granddaughter was given a reading assignment that he claimed was sexually explicit.

“The parental consent form provided no content warnings and only required a parent signature,” Parrish said.

The majority of speakers including students and parents were in support of O’Neill during the meeting.

“We signed up for the class for what the class entails,” one student said. “We expected discussion to not be simple or easy, but having us delve into cultures as a whole.”

“The effort and dedication [O’Neill] puts into her classes and her curriculum makes me as a student, so grateful,” another said.

All of this ultimately led to a police investigation into O’Neill.

A spokesperson for HUSD said in a statement that on July 31, the Gilbert Police Department notified the district that a parent filed a criminal complaint against one of its teachers related to a classroom novel assignment. The district claimed it was told there would not be a criminal investigation. 

Then on Thursday, district officials were told by GPD that they are now actively investigating.

A spokesperson with GPD confirmed the active investigation.

12News spoke with both O’Neill and Villafranca who declined to comment on Friday. At this time it is unclear what book started this controversy. 

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