Peoria Unified holds executive session after public outcry over Sunrise Mountain coaching staff

The Peoria Unified School District governing board convened an executive session on Aug. 28 to discuss personnel matters related to staff at Sunrise Mountain High School after a lengthy public comment period that included students, parents and former players defending longtime baseball coach Michael Dierdoff.

The board first moved to call an executive session under Arizona law to receive legal advice and discuss personnel matters. A motion to convene the full, listed executive-session items carried on a 4–1 roll-call vote; later the board recessed and then adjourned executive session and reopened its regular meeting. No public disciplinary action or final personnel decision was announced in open session.

Why it matters: dozens of Sunrise Mountain community members attended the meeting to press the board to retain a coach they described as a long-serving mentor. At the same time one parent alleged mistreatment by a different assistant coach on the same team, a complaint that some speakers said had been formally filed.

Public comment and the board response

More than a dozen residents and Sunrise Mountain alumni addressed the board before it entered executive session. Longtime teachers and parents described multiple internal and external investigations that, they said, cleared Michael Dierdoff of wrongdoing and urged the board not to remove him. Warren Faulkner, who said he has been part of the district for decades, told the board he could not understand convening a meeting to consider termination for someone “who was found innocent.” Student speaker Chloe Hatch said she participated in investigations and that “nothing happened,” and parents and alumni — including several who described close, multi‑year relationships with the coach — urged the board to preserve his position and the baseball program.

At the same time, Mike Baldwin, identifying himself as the father of a Sunrise Mountain player, addressed the board to say his son had endured repeated mistreatment by an assistant coach and that the board needed to act in students’ interests.

Board procedure and outcome

The board invoked ARS 38‑431.03(A)(1) and ARS 38‑431.03(A)(3) in calling the session to consider employee performance and to receive legal advice. A motion to convene the executive session covering the listed items passed by roll call. After the executive session the board returned to open session; members voted to adjourn the executive session and then proceeded to the regularly scheduled meeting. The board did not vote in open session on any personnel sanctions at the Aug. 28 meeting.

What the board and district said

Superintendent Dr. Summers and board members repeatedly emphasized that the executive session was convened to receive confidential legal advice and to consider personnel matters, and that any final personnel actions would be reported consistent with legal and privacy obligations. President Rooks and other board members said they welcomed community input and noted that the district’s human resources and local law‑enforcement investigations had been referenced during public comment.

Next steps

Because personnel deliberations took place in executive session, the board did not disclose the content of those discussions at the meeting. The governing board may update the public if and when it takes any formal action in open session or otherwise releases a statement about the matter.