Lawsuit settled between Washington Elementary School District and Arizona Christian University

By Bridget Dowd
Published: Friday, May 5, 2023 - 12:51pm
Updated: Friday, May 5, 2023 - 1:09pm

Audio icon Download mp3 (854.04 KB)

Washington Elementary School District
Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
Washington Elementary School District's office in Phoenix.

The Washington Elementary School District has settled a lawsuit filed by Arizona Christian University.

ACU sued the district for abruptly ending their partnership, accusing it of religious discrimination.

In February, the district’s governing board voted to end their student-teaching contract with the university.

Several board members said they were concerned about the university’s anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs.

The university filed a lawsuit in March, saying there hadn’t been any complaints or issues reported about its students.

Now, Washington Elementary’s governing board has voted to settle the lawsuit and has entered into a new agreement with the university. It allows for ACU student teachers to serve the district for an additional five years.

The district has also agreed to pay ACU’s attorneys’ fees.

Business Education