Whistleblower Says Climate Groups Putting Tucson Students At Risk For Inappropriate Relationships

A whistleblower is raising concerns over allegedly red flag policies by climate groups recruiting Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) students.

The whistleblower, Monika Jane Browatzki, contacted TUSD to warn that Arizona Youth Climate Coalition (AZYCC) and Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) lacked adequate safeguarding governance practices for students. Browatzki is an alumna of TUSD.

As Browatzki noted in a letter sent to the district, AZYCC recruits youths aged 11-23 through social media and directs prospective participants to submit their personal information to the organization, including their birth date and Instagram account handle, and encourages youths to join the organization’s server on Discord, a messaging platform. Discord requires users to be at least 13 years old to use the platform.

It is also unclear what access controls AZYCC puts in place for its Discord server. Discord has been recognized as one of the main platforms rendering youth vulnerable to grooming, sexual exploitation, and other harm.

Additionally, Browatzki noted that AZYCC and CCL regularly transport and supervise students in advocacy settings, yet reportedly lack clearly defined safeguarding policies, reporting procedures, and organizational accountability measures. AZYCC and CCL take minor students to Washington D.C. for a conference and lobbying activities, along with other youth programming and school district engagement.

Browatzki disclosed that CCL terminated her volunteer membership in March within an hour after she contacted the CCL executive director, Ricky Bradley, about her concerns. In an email to Bradley, Browatzki advised Bradley that she planned to ask at a meeting whether CCL had a designated safeguarding officer handling concerns about volunteer boundaries and youth safety.

In his response email terminating her volunteer affiliation, Bradley alluded to past conversations about the sufficiency of existing CCL boundaries and policies regarding youth. Browatzki indicated in her outreach to TUSD that CCL may not consistently implement and communicate governance expectations with volunteers interacting with youth participants.

CCL’s youth volunteer policy is publicly available online. CCL requires all minors to be accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian for overnight and out-of-town events, and requires minors aged 13-15 to be accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian for local events. Minors aged 16 or 17 may attend local events without a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian.

AZYCC didn’t respond to Browatzki’s questions regarding their safeguarding personnel or procedures. The organization does not have a youth volunteer policy publicly available.

AZYCC was behind the passage of TUSD’s Climate Action Resolution, which proposes reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. This entails entirely electric powered vehicles, equitable prioritization of electric bus routes, restricting vehicle idling on its properties, elimination of fossil fuel reliance, installing solar, local sourcing of plant-based and organic produce, increased recycling, implementing composting, increased biking and walking, and establishment of designated cooling rooms for hot days. The resolution also directed a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory to occur the first year of enactment and potentially every three years thereafter.

Browatzki clarified in her communications to TUSD that she supports the groups’ mission goals of youth climate advocacy and environmental education. Her problem, she said, lies with the groups potentially placing youth in vulnerable situations.

“[My concern] is whether organizations engaging youth have clearly defined safeguarding policies, reporting procedures, volunteer boundaries, and designated individuals responsible for receiving and responding to safeguarding concerns,” said Browatzki.

TUSD was encouraged to review the safeguarding governance structures offered by AZYCC and CCL.

“I hope to encourage a review of safeguarding governance wherever organizations recruit or work with students through school-related activities,” said Browatzki.