Parent alleges Desert View students secretly recorded boy in restroom; family says school, police investigating

Chris Juarez, a Sunnyside Unified School District graduate and longtime district employee, told the governing board that on Oct. 17 his grandson was using a restroom near the Desert View High School stadium when a group of students entered the stall area and a cellphone was placed over a stall, capturing a photo or video while the boy was inside. "A cell phone was placed over the stall and either took a photo or a video of my grandson while he was using the restroom," Juarez said during public comment.

Juarez said his grandson reported the incident to a coach immediately and that the football coach confronted the player and asked him to apologize. According to Juarez, the coach said the player could face felony charges under ARS 13-3019, the criminal statute covering surreptitious photography. Juarez told the board the assistant principal on duty later determined the incident "did not qualify as a mandatory report" and that his family was not notified the night it happened.

Juarez said the school and law enforcement had opened separate inquiries and that, as of his appearance before the board, the family had not received updates on the internal investigation. "It appears that the school's process may be taking an unusually long time to conclude," he told the board, adding that the delay raised concerns the handling could be influenced by the school's athletic calendar.

Board members and staff acknowledged the comment and said they would pursue additional information. The board president and superintendent were asked to follow up and to report back on the status of both the law-enforcement and school-led reviews.

The board did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting. School officials told the board there were two ongoing investigations — one criminal and one administrative — but did not provide findings at the meeting.