PEORIA, Ariz. — As the investigation into a Valley basketball coach charged with child sex crimes continues, the school at the center of the scandal has placed its principal on leave.
Peoria Unified School officials tell 12News, it removed principal Landa Tartaglio after three years at the campus amid the investigation into former boy’s basketball coach Patrick Batillo — also known in the community as "Mr. ORNG."
Batillo was arrested in April after an investigation revealed he allegedly asked teen boys for sexual pictures and videos in exchange for money. While Batillo pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment, parents and residents were concerned that Tartaglio hadn't done enough during her time in the position.
Janelle Wood with Black Mothers Forum, which has spoken on behalf of the parents of the boy’s basketball team that Batillo previously coached, urged the district not to put Tartaglio back in the school.
"As principal it is her duty to protect the children,” Wood said in part.
Wood added she would like the district to be more transparent with its investigation, and says district leaders have still yet to reach out to the parents of the students impacted by the investigation.
During a governing board meeting Wednesday night, some called on the district to place Tartaglio back on the campus, while others urged the district to continue ”cleaning house” after the scandal.
Supporters called Tartaglio a leader, who has helped a number of students thrive and succeed.
The district announced it was removing Tartaglio in the following letter to parents and students.
Dear Peoria Panthers –
We hope your summer is off to a great start and you are enjoying a well-deserved break. With the start of the 2024-25 school year less than two months away, we would like to provide you with a leadership update for Peoria High School.
After reviewing the needs of the campus, the district has decided to make a leadership change for next year. We hope you will join us in thanking Mrs. Landa Tartaglio for her service as principal at Peoria High School for the last three years.
Over the last few months, Mr. David Serafin graciously and enthusiastically provided additional administrative support for the campus. Mr. Serafin is certainly missed at Cactus High School and will soon be returning to the campus as assistant principal. We are grateful that he stepped up to lead during a challenging time and we want to thank him for his dedication and service to Peoria.
We will soon begin searching for the next great leader for Peoria High School. Through our annual survey process last spring, we collected feedback from many school stakeholders who provided insight into the climate on the campus and the needs of students, staff and parents. We look forward to incorporating those insights into our search, but if you have additional feedback, we hope you will reach out to us. We are committed to selecting a leader who will uphold the longstanding tradition of excellence that the Peoria High School community has come to know and expect.
We will provide another update once we have gone through the selection process. Until then, we hope you have a wonderful summer break.
According to the district, Tartaglio is now on administrative leave, but is still an employee of the district. Officials say she could be placed at another campus where there is a need.
Holly Holgate, a second Peoria High teacher also remains on administrative leave. Investigators say she tipped Batillo off about the investigation before his arrest.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.
