TUSD gets pushback on student club's upcoming drag show

The event is organized by Tucson High’s student club Q Space and is listed on the school’s online calendar for the evening of April 29. It will be the second annual drag show hosted by the student club.

About eight people who spoke during Tuesday’s call to the public asked the district to bar the use of school property to hold “burlesque-style events,” as one parent put it.

“With children’s minds being so malleable at this age … I would like for the board to consider voting tonight on a policy for restricting clubs from engaging in adult activities, such as a drag show, on taxpayer property with minors,” said another district parent, Stephanie Kirk.

Most of the speakers said allowing drag shows on school property is a way of sexualizing and grooming children.

A few speakers also accused the district of hypocrisy and having double standards, after administrators recently halted plans to create a TUSD faith-based advisory committee when only a couple of parents spoke against it, but haven’t stopped drag shows on campuses when several people stood in opposition.

“What’s the deal with drag shows and kids? I don’t identify as a believer or a conservative or a Republican,” one speaker said. “I’m going to say, can we draw the line at bringing the sexualization to kids on campuses? I don’t know what we are accomplishing with that.”

Board reaction

Board member Sadie Shaw said some school events, such as drag shows, are not presented to the governing board for approval.

“In fact, I didn’t know it was happening at all until I received all the letters, so it doesn’t go to the board for approval at all,” Shaw said. She said she asked the district for details, such as when and where the event will take place, as well as who’s organizing it, but hadn’t received the information.

Board member Val Romero, responding to Kirk’s request, asked whether the board currently has a policy, or could begin discussions for a policy, that would instruct the board on how to handle “items that are polarizing our community.”

But TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo asked that governing board members limit the discussion of drag shows during Tuesday’s meeting.

“This is a First Amendment free speech issue that requires some very structured and legal guidance that would be best administered to the board in executive session,” Trujillo said. “So I would just advise to be as limited as possible in commentary, other than this is a student club-hosted event after the instructional day.”

Earlier this month, the Republican-led Arizona Senate, with all Democratic senators opposed, approved two measures designed to outlaw performances on public property of certain drag shows that could be seen by children. Both measures are now being considered in the GOP-led House.

2022 arrest pointed out

Like other public speakers at Tuesday’s TUSD board meeting, Kirk noted that a Q Space club sponsor from last school year, Zobella Brazil Vinik, who was also a school counselor, was arrested in May 2022 on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor.

At the time, the Tucson Police Department said it received a report that Brazil Vinik was having an off-campus, inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student. An interim complaint filed in Pima County Consolidated Justice Court stated that detectives searched both parties’ cellphones and found messages indicating a “sexual/romantic relationship.”

TUSD, at the time, said it had removed Brazil Vinik from campus and placed her on administrative leave as soon as administrators were notified of TPD’s investigation on May 4, 2022. She resigned the next day, the district said.

In an emailed statement Friday, TUSD spokeswoman Leslie Lenhart said, “(Principal Elizabeth Rivera) is new this year and can’t speak on any employee or the situation that occurred.”

The Pima County Attorney’s Office confirmed that multiple felony charges are currently pending against Brazil Vinik but would not provide more information.

“Due to the ongoing prosecution and sensitive nature of the case, we are not able to comment further at this time,” said Shawndrea Thomas, communications director for the prosecuting office.