A former Paradise Valley School District staff member, Steven Charles Mitten, died by suicide on Wednesday amid investigation into allegations that he had sexually abused a student.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, on March 23, 2026, at around 4:54 p.m., officers responded to a call for service regarding the reported sexual abuse of a juvenile. Upon arrival, officers contacted an adult female who disclosed that when she was 16 years old, she had a sexual relationship with a staff member from Paradise Valley Unified School District that lasted approximately three years.
Detectives were able to establish probable cause for the arrest of 65-year-old Steven Charles Mitten.
On March 25, 2026, at around 4:29 p.m., detectives located Mitten in his vehicle. Detectives used a grappler to stop Mitten’s vehicle and attempted to take him into custody. Mitten refused commands and was armed with a firearm. During the encounter, he ultimately turned the weapon on himself. Once it was safe to do so, officers approached the vehicle and removed him. He was transported to a nearby hospital by the Phoenix Fire Department with a self‑inflicted gunshot wound, and he later died from his injuries.
If the accusations were true then it’s no great loss and one less dirtbag on the taxpayer dole
If the accusations are not true then the accuser is guilty of murder.