8 April 10th-April 16th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | who’d actually been corresponding with an undercover cop. “But that’s the extent of what I knew the charges were,” Bueno said. It’s not clear exactly how much Bueno knew. Xanadu staffers said they weren’t aware of some of the specifics of Denton’s arrest — including that he was told the girl was 14 and still decided to pursue her — until his sentencing. Bueno said her conversations with Denton after his arrest mainly consisted of making sure that he was following the court’s rules. If Denton didn’t make the required check-ins, that would have “jeop- ardized my house,” she said. Otherwise, she said, Denton and Bueno have talked sporadically over the last year, mostly with her checking on him about his emotional state. Deacon Batchelor, a longtime friend of Denton’s and former lead roaster of Xanadu’s wholesaling business, said that after Denton’s arrest, Bueno spoke with Xanadu’s coffee shop employees about what happened to “straighten things out.” Bueno said she doesn’t recall addressing the whole staff, but she did work with different staffers to navigate the situation. ‘She should resign’ When she bailed Denton out last March, Bueno was in her third year on the governing board and seven months into her tenure as president. Yet, the political consequences of that decision “never crossed my mind,” Bueno said. Instead, Bueno described her decision to bail out Denton as “more of me being caught in the whirlwind of helping a friend.” More than a year later, Bueno looks back at her decision with regret. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and I understand that now,” she said. “I didn’t, in retrospect, reflect on what it could mean for me, or how serious these charges are and what his actions really were.” Bueno’s connection to Denton, and her role in bailing him out of jail, has left many district parents feeling irate and concerned about the safety of their children. “That’s a pretty big step for a former business partner, who is no longer involved, supposedly, to be putting their house on the line for somebody accused of a crime like that,” said Paul Booth, whose 4-year-old son attends Faith North Elementary School’s preschool. “We deserve to know what’s going on with our school board, some transparency.” Angelica Luna, whose 7-year-old son is in the second grade at Maie Bartlett Heard School, wrote to New Times that she’s “beyond angry.” “As a parent and volunteer, I do not want her anywhere near children,” Luna wrote. “This whole situation is incredibly shady.” Booth and Luna both pointed to a photo that Bueno posted to her campaign’s Instagram account — which is now set to private — in August 2024. In it, more than 40 people pose with campaign signs, with Denton in the back row in a black collared shirt. Bueno said the photo was taken in February 2024, a month before Denton’s arrest. District spokesperson Nicole Baker said Bueno informed District Superintendent Deborah Gonzalez in late March that she had bailed Denton out of jail. “We want to assure our families, staff, and community that the safety and well- being of our students remain our top priority,” Baker wrote in an email to New Times. “Our schools operate under strict policies and procedures to ensure a safe learning environment for all students. We remain focused on our mission to provide high-quality education and support for the children and families we serve.” No other members of the Phoenix Elementary School District No. 1 governing board responded to New Times’ request to comment. Bueno already had faced recent criti- cism from district parents. In January, parents were upset that the governing board decided to end a lease with ASU Preparatory Academy, which is located just steps away from Xanadu. On March 25, the board also voted unanimously to close two schools, Paul Lawerance Dunbar Elementary School and the Heard School, because of low attendance and money woes. On Feb. 25, Booth filed a petition for a recall election of Bueno, citing “transpar- ency, accountability, financial responsi- bility” concerns related to school closures, the dismissal of the former superinten- dent and the ending of ASU Prep’s lease. The revelation of Bueno’s connection to Denton has reinvigorated that effort, Booth said. “I think she should resign,” Booth said. “Is this really in the best interest of the community? I don’t think so.” Bueno is hopeful that her record on the governing board will outweigh parents’ concerns. “(I hope) my work and what I do and my service to the community can speak louder than, you know, me being a friend,” she said. Bail Bond from p 6 Randall Denton was sentenced to a year in prison following his arrest for attempted sexual trafficking of a minor. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
