Grand Canyon Times

Jenny Clark, a member of the Arizona State Board of Education and founder of Love Your School, said in a message on X that SOS Arizona and its executive director, Beth Lewis, who oppose the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, are bigoted against people of faith.

"Bigotry against people of faith by anti-ESA groups like Save Our Schools AZ (@arizona_sos) and Beth Lewis, SOSAZ (@AZBethLewis) is on full display," Clark said. "Because parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children, and because we live in a pluralistic society, ESA opponents should be called out for their bigotry against people of faith."

"In the ESA program, the funds go to the parent, and therefore, they can send their children to a Catholic school, a secular school, a Muslim school, a Jewish school and so on," she wrote. "Because parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children, and because we live in a pluralistic society, ESA opponents should be called out for their bigotry against people of faith." 

"Maybe Beth Lewis and SOS Arizona aren't aware of Supreme Court cases like Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, and Makin," Clark said. "But maybe they are, and they're just hoping to win people over to their side with their rhetoric against people of faith."

Clark was appointed to the Arizona State Board of Education in 2022 by former Republican Gov. Greg Ducey. Her organization, Love Your School, helps parents navigate school choice options.