A Maricopa educator has voluntarily surrendered her teaching credentials following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old public school student, according to state education board records.
Zoe Chandler, a substitute teacher certified to work in PreK-12 classrooms, was the subject of a Maricopa police report and internal investigation by the Maricopa Unified School District earlier this year. District officials had alerted the Arizona Department of Education’s Investigative Unit about concerns Chandler had violated policy by engaging in a personal relationship with a student.
According to Chandler’s Facebook profile, she graduated from a San Diego area high school in 2019. She was hired by MUSD Jan. 2, 2024, as a high school English teacher. She had worked as an English teacher for EdKey until 2023. EdKey is the charter school that operates Sequoia Pathway Academy in Maricopa.
“An internal review found that Ms. Chandler violated Governing Board Policy … A report of unprofessional conduct was submitted to the Arizona Department of Education Jan. 31, 2025. Ms. Chandler resigned effective the same day, and her resignation was approved by the Governing Board at its meeting on Feb. 12,” said MUSD spokesperson Mishell Terry. “There is no active investigation.”
According to documentation from the April 28 Arizona State Board of Education meeting, several Maricopa students were interviewed as part of the inquiry, with two confirming the relationship.
Maricopa Police Department opened a case in connection with the incident, but Chandler was not charged with a crime nor arrested. No records of the police investigation were immediately made available. InMaricopa has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for more details on the case.
Chandler held two active teaching credentials: a Substitute Certificate valid through March 16, 2030, and an Alternative Teaching Certificate expiring Jan. 16, 2026. On Feb. 11, she voluntarily surrendered both, effectively ending her eligibility to work in any Arizona district or charter school.
InMaricopa attempted to contact Chandler by email and at her home in Maricopa but was not successful.
