More than 1,500 sign petition asking Sen. Carine Werner to resign from Scottsdale school board
Based on reporting by Jakob Thorington for Arizona Capitol Times, published September 12, 2025.
More than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Sen. Carine Werner, R-Scottsdale, to resign from the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board, the Arizona Capitol Times reported.
The petition follows the board's Aug. 5 meeting, where Werner, attending virtually, was allegedly heard complaining during a presentation by Nutritional Services Director Patti Bilbrey. The Capitol Times reported that Werner appeared to call Bilbrey "morbidly obese" and "Chubs." Bilbrey had been briefing the board on a summer meals program with Scottsdale Community College that provided more than 235,000 free meals to children facing food insecurity.
More than 50 community members attended the board's Sept. 9 meeting to call for Werner's resignation. Werner did not attend in person or virtually, and she did not respond to the Capitol Times' request for comment. Several attendees said Werner had told others she was misinterpreted and was not talking about Bilbrey, though many of them said they did not believe her.
Parent Shea Najafi said organizers could consider a recall campaign if the petition reaches around 4,000 signatures. According to the Secretary of State's Office, a recall campaign requires 25% of all votes cast in the most recent election for that office.
For many parents at the meeting, the remark was the latest of several actions they objected to. The Capitol Times reported that Werner has supported banning books by LGBTQ and Black authors and has advocated for PragerU curriculum in Scottsdale schools.
Board Vice President Mike Sharkey said he did not condone Werner's conduct based on what he heard at the Aug. 5 meeting. He said legal counsel told him the board could not take up a censure.