Arizona principal steps down amid teacher sex scandal

Scott Hollabaugh announced his departure to Centennial High School families after the end of the school year, according to a letter provided by the district to The Arizona Republic.

In the letter, Hollabaugh said the school community continues to experience “pain and sadness” related to the actions of two former employees and said the moment offered “an opportunity for renewal.”

Here’s a look at the letter and what it means for the ongoing fallout.

What the principal told families

“Today I shared with our teachers and staff that I’ve decided to step away from my role as principal of Centennial,” Hollabaugh wrote.

Hollabaugh led Centennial for eight years and worked for 23 years as a teacher and administrator, according to his letter. He said he would support the district’s efforts to ensure a smooth transition.

“Centennial will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know it will continue to thrive for years to come because of the partnership between its students, parents, and staff,” Hollabaugh wrote.

The letter did not say who would replace Hollabaugh or give a specific date for his final day as principal.

Peoria Unified spokesperson Danielle Airey told The Republic that Hollabaugh announced his departure on May 22.

Airey said the district was “incredibly grateful for his service and dedication to our students.”

In his letter, Hollabaugh said Centennial’s future remains strong.

He pointed to enrollment growth and said more than 900 of the school’s 2,100 students choose to attend Centennial through open enrollment.

Parents respond to principal's departure

The Peoria Unified School District also provided several responses it said it received from members of the school community after Hollabaugh announced his departure.

The district redacted the names attached to the responses.

The messages were largely supportive of Hollabaugh, expressing thanks for his leadership at Centennial and saying he would be missed.

Several criticized the public scrutiny surrounding the school, with one parent writing that “political theater and social media gossip” had contributed to his departure.

Another parent wrote that Hollabaugh had been a “great principal,” while others wished him well and thanked him for his dedication to the school community.

Latest shake-up for school district

Hollabaugh’s departure marks the latest leadership change for Peoria Unified after months of fallout from the investigation into former Centennial teachers Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka.

Prior Republic reporting found that Centennial administrators were warned about concerns involving Beck months before police were notified.

Beck, a former Centennial teacher and soccer coach, was investigated over an alleged relationship with a student that police records say began while he was a minor.

Burlaka, a former child development teacher at Centennial, was separately investigated over accusations that she sent explicit videos to the same student while he was a minor.

Peoria police resubmitted recommended felony charges against both former teachers in April. Beck faces one recommended count of pandering, while Burlaka faces one recommended count of furnishing obscene material to a minor.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office had not filed charges against either former teacher as of prior Republic reports.

Beck’s attorney previously said she “committed no crimes” and said a full review of the facts would confirm her innocence. Burlaka did not respond to a prior request for comment.

The case also drew wider attention because Haley Beck is the sister of TikTok star Noah Beck and Scottsdale influencer Tatum Beck, both of whom have large social media followings.

What school officials knew before police were notified

The case has drawn scrutiny over what school officials knew and when they acted.

In February 2025, a former Centennial student emailed Hollabaugh and other administrators with concerns about Beck’s conduct with a male student.

The former student said other students had seen Beck and the student sitting together in a car, that Beck had given him gifts and that she frequently messaged him on Snapchat, according to prior Republic reporting.

Hollabaugh responded days later and said district employees were expected to maintain proper relationships with students. He also said he had brought the concerns to Beck’s attention.

Police were not notified by school officials at that time.

A concerned grandmother with a family connection to an El Mirage police officer later brought the issue to law enforcement after learning her grandson had received money and explicit sexual photos and videos from two teachers, according to police records.

Peoria Unified Superintendent K.C. Somers previously said that when the concerns were first reported, “the information available did not meet the legal threshold for reasonable suspicion of abuse.”

Broader fallout reached

The fallout from the Centennial investigation has expanded beyond the high school.

Heather Rooks, who was then president of the Peoria Unified governing board, filed complaints in April with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and the Arizona State Board of Education seeking reviews of whether district officials followed mandatory reporting laws, according to prior Republic reporting.

Rooks had criticized the district’s handling of the Centennial case and said she believed officials failed to protect students.

The district has maintained that staff members met their legal obligations.

The governing board later removed Rooks from her role as board president after she spoke to The Republic about the district’s handling of the case, according to prior Republic reporting.

Peoria Unified has also faced changes at the superintendent level. Somers announced in February that he would leave the district to take a superintendent position in Colorado.

The governing board later appointed Tahlya Visintainer, the district’s chief personnel officer, as interim superintendent after Ryan LaDouceur withdrew from the role.