Educational Regulation Compliance & Potential Abuse Concerns

Our previous church school blog post, examined the anti-education stance of Golden Dawn Tabernacle/Tabernaculo Emanuel Church School and the reasons behind it. In this post, we will explore the curriculum and teaching methods used by the school’s leadership, as well as the school’s compliance with federal and state educational regulations. Our research for this blog is based on interviews with former students of the church school, input from certified education professionals in the state of Arizona as well as a phone interview with Golden Dawn Tabernacle Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega. Pastor Isaac Noriega and Head of Church School Reymundo H. Aguirre refused to take our calls.

Summary Facts & Concerns:

• The church asserts that it does not operate a school, but rather offers a study center for homeschooled church students to be protected from the “world.”
• Curriculum at the church’s study or tutoring center is instructor-led and based on grade level, with in-class assignments, homework, and exams administered by the school teachers.
• Despite the church’s assertions, it appears that the study center is actually operating as a non-accredited private school. It is possible that the church avoids referring to it as a school in an effort to evade compliance with educational regulations.
• This school is led by Reymundo (Rey) H. Aguirre, a former TUSD Substitute Teacher at Maldonado Elementary School, who is currently only certified by the State of Arizona as a substitute teacher. His Public Educator ID is 2931740. Note: the picture shown of him was taken before mustaches were banned by the church.
• All of the church school students have homeschool affidavits, but they are expected to attend the church school due to strong social pressure from their peers and the church’s teachings that congregants should send their children to the school.
• It is suspected that the church school may be violating several Arizona state laws, which will be addressed further in this post.
• Our research findings indicate concerns about the students not receiving an adequate, comprehensive education to ensure their success upon graduation that meets minimum state requirements. Especially for students with disabilities and well as lack of mandatory training for potential unreported abuse concerns. 
• Is the church leadership acting in the best interests of its congregants’ children by requiring them to attend a private church school where the staff may not be equipped to provide a comprehensive education or follow mandatory abuse and neglect reporting requirements?

Private Church School or Homeschool Study Center?

As previously mentioned, the church asserts that it operates a study or tutoring center for homeschooled students rather than a private school. According to Pastor Isaac Noriega, they only provide a study center or tutoring center to shelter the homeschooled church students from the perceived perils of a public or charter school environment. As such, all of the children that attend the church school are registered as homeschooled students with the Pima County School Superintendent via an Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool. This means that the parents of the students are ultimately responsible for overseeing their education.

According to Arizona state law, below are the definitions for a “Home school” and a “Private school”:

“Home school” is defined as ―a school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person who has custody of the child or instruction provided in the child’s home. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-802F.1

“Private school” is defined as ―a nonpublic institution, other than the child’s home, where academic instruction is provided for at least the same number of days and hours each year as a public school. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-802F.2.

The church’s school does not meet the definition of a homeschool, as it is located on church property, staffed by teachers who do not have custody of the students, and operates as a school with a curriculum and assigned coursework but it may meet the definition of a private school. While the church’s study center may actually function as a private school in terms of providing academic instruction, it does not appear to be meeting the required number of instructional days and hours for a private school.

According to Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega, church school attendance is completely voluntary and they do not track attendance. However, according to former students, early on when the church school’s was started, it truly was voluntary, but over time, it did become mandatory. Pastor Isaac Noriega singled out and heavily favored the first generation of church school students graduates who were the original cohort (approximately 12 students) to never attend public school, and used this a social pressure tactic to make this a mandatory requirement for congregant children. Ironically, only a handful of that cohort remains in the church now. Ultimately, many parents in the congregation believe that they are sending their children to a church school, as this is what the church has encouraged them to do. They drop their children off at the school and pick them up after the school day ends, and the congregation refers to it as a church school. However, the church leadership appears to avoid calling it a church school in order to avoid state regulations for private schools. This blog post aims to bring attention to these practices and request further investigation by the Arizona Department of Education, Arizona Department of Child Safety, and the Pima County School Superintendent’s office.

There are homeschooling resource groups call homeschool co-ops. Some churches also have their own church homeschool co-ops. An excellent example of what a church homeschool co-op looks like is the local Faith Homeschool Co-Op, organized by Desert Son Community Church, here in Tucson, AZ. This church co-op is very clear on what they are, and are not. Taken directly from their website, here is what they are not:

• Faith Co-op is not a “day school.”  We count on the active involvement of every member family to make Co-op Class Day a success!
• Faith Co-op does not replace the role of the parent as primary educator at home:
  Our role is to encourage the parent, through support, assistance, co-op classes and relationship building.
• Faith Co-op does not function as a school.  Classes are held one day a week, for 12 weeks per semester, with one semester operating in the Fall and one in the Spring.  
• Faith Co-op does not use a particular curriculum:
  Parents choose what they would like to teach.  Some parents teach using a curriculum, but the vast majority of the classes are created by parents using many different sources.
• Faith Co-op does not allow children to be dropped off for classes. Parents are expected to stay on campus and either teach or assist in classes during co-op hours.

Pima County Library homeschool co-ops resource link: https://www.library.pima.gov/content/homeschool-groups-and-co-ops-pima-county/

Arizona law on homeschooling: https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=http://www.azleg.gov/ars/15/00802.htm

Church School Pictures

The students’ and teachers’ faces have been blurred to protect their privacy. These pictures are being shared to ask readers: Do these images give the impression of a school? Do the rooms depicted appear to be classrooms?

Church School Staff

Reymundo (Rey) Aguirre is the head of the church’s school and is considered the informal church school Principal. He was formerly a teacher at Maldonado Elementary School in the Tucson Unified School District, and is currently certified as a substitute teacher in the state of Arizona. Reymundo does not have a principalship certification, and while that is not required for private schools, it is typically required for public school administrators.

The staff at the school are mostly young, unmarried women who are members of the church. None of them are certified by the Arizona Department of Education. A search on the Online Arizona Certification Information System (OACIS) did not yield any results for any of the teachers employed by the church. While private schools are not required to have certified teachers, it is standard practice to verify the credentials and qualifications of teaching staff. Former students have reported that some of the teachers have mentioned taking a teaching class, but they do not appear to meet the certification and training requirements for public school teachers in Arizona. Additionally, none of the staff have special education certifications or training to handle students with disabilities. This was also confirmed by Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega.

Mandatory Reporting Training for Child Abuse and Neglect

According to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, these “are highly unusual times and stressors on the family are great. A DCS investigation can be yet another added stressor on a family. As such, it is important that educators and faith leaders especially know their role as mandated reporters and know when and when not to report child abuse and neglect.”

According to Arizona law, it is absolutely mandatory that any potential child abuse and neglect is recorded.

Mandated reporters are required by law, as defined by ARS 13-3620, to report all concerns of child abuse or neglect. Department of Child Safety (DCS) provides this secure website for mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect to report non-emergency concerns, as authorized by ARS 13-3620. Non-emergency concerns are those in which a child is not at immediate risk of abuse or neglect that could result in serious harm. This website is only for mandated reporters to report situations that do not require an emergency response. An emergency is a situation where a child faces an immediate risk of abuse or neglect that could result in death or serious harm.

Training is located here and here.

According to former students of the church’s study or tutoring center, there are no background checks conducted for church employees, and there is no training on mandatory reporting of abuse. There are also potential allegations of abuse that have occurred at the school, which will be addressed later in the section on Discipline and Potential Unreported Abuse Concerns.

Given that the staff at the church’s school are not appropriately certified or trained, it raises questions about whether they are fulfilling their responsibilities in terms of mandatory reporting of potential child abuse and neglect of students at the school.

Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega was asked if any of the teachers received any training and he said he was not aware of any training that was provided by the church.

Discipline & Potential Unreported Abuse Concerns

One form of punishment for disobedience or unsatisfactory behavior at the church’s study or tutoring center involved placing students in a storage closet for an extended period of time as a form of isolation, according to a former student who experienced this punishment.

“Prayerful laying on of hands” by the principal and/or elders of the church school was reportedly used as a means of correcting behavior and/or casting out evil spirits.

According to reliable sources, Reymundo Aguirre, the head of the church school, picked up a then-third-grade student by the ankles in an effort to demonstrate something to the class. The student became agitated and began squirming, causing Rey to lose his grip on the student’s ankles. The student fell to the ground, face first, and lost a shoe in the process.

Other sources report that Reymundo Aguirre tied students up with rope and watched them struggle to become loose, using this class activity as a lesson on knots.

Former students have confirmed that there was a scandal involving an underage student and a female teacher who wrote intimate letters to each other. It is unclear if there was any physical contact between the two, but it is suspected.

It is believed that none of the potential instances of abuse described above were properly investigated or reported to the appropriate authorities.

Teacher Wages

The teaching staff at the church’s study or tutoring center includes both volunteer teachers and paid teachers. The paid teachers reportedly receive very low wages, in the form of checks ranging from approximately $250 to $800 per month (and they are required to pay 10% tithing to the church on these wages). According to a source with inside knowledge of the school, some teachers had to work as unpaid volunteers for years before they began to receive payment. The paid teachers reportedly received their checks in one of the church’s tithing envelopes, personally handed to them by Pastor Isaac Noriega or Rey Aguirre, and were instructed not to tell anyone in the church that they were receiving wages from the church. This may be because the church leadership is not withholding payroll taxes for the church’s teacher employees or providing W-2 tax withholding forms. Several witnesses confirmed that they only ever received checks, but no W-2 forms, and to the best of their knowledge, none of the teachers received W-2 forms. We reached out to the church leadership for comment, and Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega stated that the church does not formally employ the teachers, and that they only provide monthly monetary gifts to the teachers to help with gas, school supplies, etc., so they do not report this as taxable income. However, according to the IRS and tax law and tax accounting resources, monetary gifts provided by the church to its volunteers is considered reportable taxable income.

Current Teaching Staff

The church’s study or tutoring center is reported to employ approximately 15 teachers, overseen by Reymundo Aguirre. The names of the teachers are not being listed here to protect their privacy. Mr. Aguirre is responsible for curriculum and discipline at the school. It is worth noting that Joshua Bonillas, a current church member and former Pima County Auditor, was also an occasional visiting teacher at the school and a full-time Sunday school teacher until he was arrested and convicted of stealing funds from a homeowners association.

Church School Hours:

8:30am-12:30am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (no school on Wednesdays due to evening service at 7pm).

School Rules:

All of the Church Rules apply, but there are additional rules for the school as follows:

• No logos or prints on shirts as these are considered “Babylonian garments” and “worldly.”
• Girls must follow strict dress codes, and they have to dress “formally”. No shiny items, no sandals that show your feet, no clingy/tight materials, no high buns, no high ponytails, no jean jackets, no sheer clothing and no heels are allowed.
• Conversations between students that are friends are kept to a minimum to prevent socializing.
• Same sex children can’t hold hands because that is considered “lesbian” or “gay” and opposite sex children can’t hold hands because that is reserved for married couples. (It is important to consider the potential impact on young children being taught these teachings.)
• Children’s books are heavily censored – example: female figures in school books (illustrated or historical) having sleeves and dresses drawn in sharpie marker to cover any exposed parts of their bodies.
• No books from the public library or internet is allowed; reports or essays must be based on Pastor Isaac Noriega’s or William Branham’s sermons 
• Critical questions about church leadership and doctrine are forbidden at school

School Curriculum & Instruction

• The church school teaches the ABEKA curriculum for selective subjects, such as reading, writing, math and limited history. Science, biology, social studies and art subjects are not taught.
• History is taught in accordance to William Branham’s teachings. Only historical figures that were mentioned by William Branham are approved for book reports and history lessons.
• Curriculum at the church’s study or tutoring center is instructor-led and based on grade level, with in-class assignments, homework, and exams administered by the school teachers.
• The children are taught to believe that the church leader, Pastor Isaac Noriega, speaks on behalf of God when he preaches from the pulpit. This causes the children to fear him.
• Children are strongly encouraged to report any perceived anti-church activities, whether in their home, school, church or in public, to the principal, teachers, or deacons of the school.
• Use of unethical interrogation and confession techniques to gather information about perceived “sins,” which can be used to disrupt and/or dissolve students’ sense of identity.
• There is an extensive use of church-generated information and propaganda used for educational resources.
• Any alternative belief systems are automatically labeled as illegitimate, evil, or of the devil.
• Access to outside information such as libraries, internet, and education resources are heavily restricted and controlled.
• Approved educational material, such as outdated encyclopedias, are heavily censored.
• Special education for children with special needs is virtually non-existent.
• Sex Education or Family Life Curriculum is not taught to the students.
• Students are encouraged to report on their parents and family members. The teachers and principal will interrogate students to find out information about their families, especially in the younger grades. 
• The students are taught that Pastor Isaac Noriega loves them more than their parents do. 
• Students are pressured to give Isaac Noriega money, gifts, or letters for his birthday.
• Students are taught to give tithes, or donations, to the church, and are encouraged to ask their parents questions such as “Why don’t you pay tithes, since that’s the right thing to do?” They are taught that tithing is not just a minimum requirement of 10%, but that they will be blessed by giving more to the “Lord” (church) by rounding up their donations.
• Pastor Isaac Noriega’s sermons are regurgitated to the students during school sessions.
• Students are strongly discouraged from considering attending college or pursuing a career that would require a college degree
• Male students are encouraged to pursue trade jobs with employee owned companies within the church and female students are encouraged to focus on being a house wife and homemaker. Talents are diminished and not encouraged.

Note: the above curriculum and instruction and church school rules were confirmed with several former students. When Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega was asked about some of these topics, he either said he was unaware or denied it. As an example, Mr. Noriega said he was unaware that there was a rule that female students were not allowed to wear open toed sandals. He denied that students were not allowed to wear clothing with brands on them, such as a nike logo. He also claimed that there was no selective subject teaching or censoring of education materials. He claimed that these were false claims made by former disgruntled students and former church members.

Students With Disabilities – Special Needs Education

According to former students, the church’s study or tutoring center does not provide any special education services for students with disabilities. The only additional support provided is having a teacher read books one-on-one with students who have learning disabilities.

A reliable source reported that a teacher working with one of the students with disabilities was injured by this student. The teacher reported it to the church leadership but was told to get over it, and that the student didn’t mean to do it. The teacher’s intent was to report it so that the church school could seek the appropriate resources and support for the student that the church is not able to offer as the teachers are not trained on how to handle and work with students with disabilities. However, the church leadership refused to do anything about it. It is worth noting that the student who injured the teacher happens to be one of Pastor Isaac Noriega’s grandchildren. When Assistant Pastor Matthew J. Noriega was asked about this instance, he claimed it was false and stated that there are no students with disabilities that attend the church school and no violent incidents have occurred at the school. However, as an example that refutes that, multiple former students stated that they knew several students that attended the school that exhibited severe autistic disability characteristics.

One critical aspect of opting out of a public school is that students are no longer eligible for special education services provided by IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.

It is important to consider whether parents of church members with special needs students, who chose to opt out of the public school system, were aware of the lack of special education services at the church’s study or tutoring center. It is also worth asking whether the leadership of the school was transparent about their lack of qualification to support students with disabilities.

Unfortunately, it appears that students with special education needs at the church school are not receiving the appropriate accommodations or modifications to their education.

For reference, public schools, by law, must have an IEP (individualized education plan) or a 504 plan for students with disabilities or students who require special accommodations. Note: an IEP is students with disabilities who require specialized instruction and a 504 plan is for students require special accommodations (such as a student with ADHD, concussion, etc.). By AZ state and federal law, students must have IEP or 504 plan if they need it, if they are attending a public school.

Education Regulation Compliance Concerns

The Arizona State Regulation for Private Schools was reviewed with several certified teaching professionals and below are the regulations that that church school may not be in compliance with.

Length of School Days/Years

• AZ State Law: To comply with the Arizona compulsory school attendance statute, private school students must attend school for the full time school is in session in the local school district. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-802B.2
• Concern: The church’s study or tutoring center has mandatory attendance times for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, for a total of 16 hours of classroom time. In Arizona, a school district day is on average 6.43 hours a day, for a total of 32.15 hours per week. The average number of instructional days in Arizona is 181 days per year, for a total of 1,163.83 hours of annual instructional time. The church meets for 11 months out of the year (they take April off for Easter meetings), so students only receive approximately 704 hours of annual instructional time. Based on these findings, it appears that the church’s study or tutoring center is not meeting the state’s minimum required compulsory school attendance statute, as it falls significantly short of the required instructional time.

Curriculum

• AZ State Law: Shall be provided instruction in at least the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-802A
• Concern: The church school does not fully teach social studies or science. Arizona high school graduation requirements are: 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3 years of Social Studies, 3 years of Science, 1 year of Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education and Vocational Education and credits of additional courses prescribed by the local school district governing board or charter school.
• AZ State Law: Students shall be able to transfer their credits from a private school to public school. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-701.01G
• Concern: It appears that the church’s study or tutoring center does not track or account for school credits or provide official transcripts, which could put high school students at a disadvantage if they decide to transfer or attend a public school. This could result in these students having a credit deficit when enrolling in a public school, potentially delaying their graduation. Former students mentioned that grades and student performance are not tracked, and transcripts are not provided.

Recordkeeping/Reports

• AZ State Law: Pupil Identify Records – On enrollment, private schools must maintain a copy of reliable proof of the pupil’s identity and age, e.g. birth certificate or baptismal certificate, in the pupil’s file. Any inaccurate or suspicious affidavit must be reported to the local law enforcement agency. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-828A, C, E
• Concern: The church school is not believed to be tracking or maintaining a copy of reliable proof of the pupil’s identity and age, e.g. birth certificate or baptismal certificate, in the pupil’s file.
• AZ State Law: Immunization Records – By November 30 of each school year, private schools must report the following to the health department and the department of health services on forms provided: 1) the number of pupils immunized or who have submitted laboratory evidence of immunity; 2) the number of students with incomplete immunization; 3) the number of students exempt from immunization. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-874 D
• Concern: The private church school is not believed to be documenting, tracking or reporting immunization records to the Pima County Health Department.
• AZ State Law: Student Enrollment – Parents enrolling students in private schools must file an affidavit with the county superintendent stating that the student is attending a school for the fulltime that the schools in the school district are in session and the name and address of the school that the child is attending.Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-802B.2
• Concern: Parent’s are not enrolling their children in a private school as they are filing affidavits with the intent to homeschool, yet they are sending their children to the Golden Dawn Tabernacle /Tabernaculo Emanuel Private Church School.
• AZ State Law: Annual Reporting – Before January 15 each year, the superintendent of public instruction must make an annual report to the governor and state legislature of the number of children attending private schools.Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-255
• Concern: The church is not making any annual reports that our research team could find to the Arizona governor and state legislature.

Health and Safety Requirements

• AZ State Law: Immunization Records – Children are not allowed to attend school without submitting documentary proof of immunization to the school administrator, unless they are exempt under §15-873, or in the process of immunization. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-872
• Concern: The church school is not believed to be tracking immunization records for the church students.
• AZ State Law: Fire Safety – The fire marshal is responsible for establishing programs for evacuating school buildings and instructing students in private schools on the importance of fire preventions and control. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§41-2165; 2163A.4
• Concern: The church school has recently encountered fire safety concerns with the Tucson Fire Department due to failing to meet fire safety standards for school buildings as documented here.
• AZ State Law: Protective Eyeware – Arizona requires students, teachers, and visitors in private schools to wear eye protective ware while participating or observing certain educational activities in vocational, technical, industrial arts, art or laboratory science. Private or parochial schools must equip their schools with the appropriate eye protective ware. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-151
• Concern: Based on former student testimony, the church school is not believed to have appropriate eye protective ware on the premises.
• AZ State Law: Drug Free Zone – Arizona places additional criminal penalties on persons convicted of selling illegal drugs in a drug-free school zone. The administrative officer of a nonpublic school shall place and maintain signs identifying the school and its grounds as a drug-free school zone. Illegal drug transactions observed by school personnel must be reported. School records of alleged student violations must be made available to the peace officer upon written request. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §13-3411
• Concern: The school most definitely does NOT have signs identifying the school and its ground as a drug-free school zone.

Previous Church School Student Statements

Several former students provided statements regarding their experience attending the church school.

Former Student 1:

“I remember we did things like cooking classes in the kitchen with Rey Aguirre (just the girls). And then we were taught to sew and make aprons. Also, my mom and dad would pull me in and out of schools because of the church’s disapproval of public schools so I sometimes never fully finished a grade and they would tell the school it was because I was homeschooled for the remainder of the grade when I truly wasn’t. So I was just always lost and behind on my education thanks to the church and my parents going with the church’s rules.”

“When I was in the church school and then returned to public school, my mom and dad enrolled me in 8th grade even though I never really completed the 7th grade. I attended “7th grade” when I was in the church school, except I never learned anything except how to make a pizza and sew an apron. It was a total joke.”

“And I suffered like you wouldn’t believe it. Totally and utterly lost in school. I am still bad at math because I was never given the opportunity to learn the foundations because I was always jerked around in and out of schools.”

Schools this former student attended (school names have been redacted to protect their identity):

“Note: Due to the church disapproval of public schools, if I made friends at one school and mom and dad didn’t like them or my “spirit”, it was on to the next school.”

“Elementary School 1 – Kindergarten & 1st grade
Elementary School 2 – 2nd grade
Elementary School 3 – 3rd & 4th grade
Elementary School 4- 5th grade (one semester)
Elementary School 5 – 5th grade (second semester – apparently I was getting a “spirit from my friends”)
Middle School 1 – 6th grade 
Golden Dawn Tabernacle Church School – “7th grade” 
Middle School 2 – 8th grade 
High School 1 – 9th grade 
High School 2 – 10th through 12th grade (we were finally out of the church at this point, hence why it’s the school I attended the longest)”

Former Student 2:

Note: this former student spent their entire K-12 grade education at the church school. The parents made this student start attending this school early so they actually ended up spending fourteen years at this institution. They stated the following:

“The church school doesn’t only teach basic education, it doubles as an indoctrination center for the young kids and teenagers. This is perhaps the biggest and most dangerous function of the “church school” as they call it. It’s more of a chance for the “ministry” to brainwash these kids than it is a study center for homeschooled kids.”

Appeal to Church Member Parents

This appeal is directed towards congregant parents who send their children to the church school. Pastor Isaac Noriega and Rey Aguirre’s goal is to limit and control your children’s education in order to maintain control over the church. The justification that they use, claiming to be protecting and sheltering the children from the world, is disingenuous. While protecting and sheltering children is normal and important, it is also necessary for them to be exposed to the real world in order to fully function and be successful as adults. Social development, education, and real-world experience are all necessary for success in life. Completely sheltering children to the point of isolation is not conducive to their success, but detrimental to their future. We have observed that some students at the school are naturally gifted and intelligent, but the school does not give them the opportunity to use or develop their gifts. Instead, we see them go unused. We urge you to seriously reconsider sending your children to the church’s study or tutoring center and instead consider truly homeschooling your children, leveraging a local, qualified homeschool co-op, or enrolling them in a charter or public school.

Do you have any comments, feedback or additional information regarding the church school? You may contact us below, anonymously, or if you would like us to respond to you, please provide an email address or phone number.

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Reference Documentation

Arizona State Regulation of Private Schools (source)

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