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Peoria school superintendent Ryan LaDouceur removed in special board meeting

By  and 
FOX 10 Phoenix
Education
Published May 19, 2026 7:23 AM MST
Published May 19, 2026 7:23 AM MST
(Previous report) Peoria governing board to decide on possible removal of superintendent
(Previous report) Peoria governing board to decide on possible removal of superintendent

(Previous report) Peoria governing board to decide on possible removal of superintendent

Happening today, the Peoria Unified School District's governing board is holding a special meeting and it could result in the ouster of the school district's superintendent. FOX 10's Irene Snyder has the details.

The Brief

    • The Peoria Unified School District Governing Board held a special meeting to discuss the potential removal of Superintendent Dr. Ryan LaDouceur.
    • A decision was made to oust LaDouceur, and the interim superintendent position will be filled by Tahlya Visintainer.
    • The vote follows weeks of fallout regarding sexual misconduct allegations against two former Centennial High School teachers and the handling of the situation by administrators.

PEORIA, Ariz. - The Peoria Unified School District Governing Board held a special meeting that resulted in the school district's superintendent, Dr. Ryan LaDouceur, getting fired.

What we know:

Tuesday's vote comes just weeks after the school board's president was removed from that role, all in the fallout of sexual misconduct allegations about two former teachers at a PUSD high school.

The interim superintendent position will be filled by Tahlya Visintainer.

"The Peoria Unified Governing Board voted today to appoint Tahlya Visintainer as Interim Superintendent beginning May 26, 2026 through June 30, 2027. During this time, the district will conduct a search for the next Superintendent. Visintainer brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources and organizational leadership to the role of Interim Superintendent of Peoria Unified School District. Ms. Visintainer returned to Peoria Unified in June 2025 as the District’s Chief Personnel Officer," the board said.

It continued, "Peoria Unified is grateful for Dr. LaDouceur’s willingness to serve during a time when the District needed additional leadership support and we appreciate his work over the last two months through our leadership transition."

Dig deeper:

Earlier this month, the board removed Heather Rooks as president, though she remains on the board. That vote came after Rooks and another board member wanted to hire a third party to investigate sexual misconduct allegations at Centennial High School and administrators' handling of the allegations. The majority of the board decided to wait for more feedback from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Centennial High School sign (KSAZ-TV)

Now-former Centennial High teachers Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka are accused of abusing the same student. Police have recommended charges against both ex-educators. At this time, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is still reviewing the cases.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX 10's Irene Snyder. Supplemental information was gathered from a May 19 meeting agenda posted to the Peoria Unified School District's website.

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