🏫 Secret Recording Reveals Teacher's Shocking Crime: Actual Education | WAKE UP LIVE

🌵 DeSimone's Desert Delusions: Another Day, Another Anti-Tucson Tirade Oro Valley mayor wannabe serves up fresh grievances with his morning coffee

May 28, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

Some adults on a radio show in Arizona are upset because a teacher talked to high school students about different families and how some old books have been translated differently over time. They're also mad that a college professor lost his job after people complained about him being mean to LGBTQ+ students. A sheriff talked about catching drugs at the border but admitted most still get through. The radio hosts think these are huge problems, but really they're just trying to scare people into agreeing with their political ideas. It's like when someone tells scary stories to get attention, except these adults are supposed to be helping their community instead of making people afraid.

🗝️ Takeaways

🧮 Sheriff claims drug interdiction success while admitting 90% still gets through
🎓 Former ethics professor was "canceled" for targeting LGBTQ+ students publicly
📱 Health teacher secretly recorded while providing age-appropriate education
🏛️ Conservative radio manufacturing outrage to justify authoritarian policies
🎭 Victim-blaming disguised as moral authority throughout the broadcast
💰 Fear-mongering used to justify increased surveillance and control
🌈 LGBTQ+ youth targeted by adults who should be protecting them
📻 Independent media crucial for cutting through manufactured controversies

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🎙️ Wake Up and Smell the Dogma: DeSimone's MAGA Echo Chamber Exposed

When conservative talk radio meets manufactured outrage, Tucson gets the bill

Settle in, Sonorans, because we're about to take a deep dive into the fever swamps of conservative talk radio, where facts go to die and grievance politics get their daily dose of vitamins. On May 28th, Chris DeSimone's "Wake Up Live" served up a steaming platter of MAGA talking points that would make even the most seasoned progressive's head spin faster than a dust devil in July.

Because apparently, nothing says "wake up" like a three-hour nap through reality.

The Cast of Characters: A Rogue's Gallery

DeSimone assembled quite the crew for this particular performance. Sheriff Mark Dannels from Cochise County kicked things off with his signature border fear-mongering, followed by Dan Grossenbach, a former University of Arizona ethics instructor who seems to have missed the irony in his own story. The pièce de résistance was an audio recording of a Catalina Foothills High School health teacher, secretly recorded while doing the revolutionary act of... teaching health class.

Nothing screams "family values" like secretly recording teenagers' health education, right?

Sheriff Dannels: The Border Security Paradox

Sheriff Dannels opened with what can only be described as statistical gymnastics worthy of an Olympic gold medal. He simultaneously claimed that fentanyl seizures have decreased while insisting that "90% still gets through."

"There is a decrease, especially in fentanyl, and that's a positive thing," Dannels proudly announced, before immediately adding, "And what they catch is only 5% to 10%. 90% still getting through."

Let me get this straight, Sheriff—you're both winning AND losing the drug war? That's some next-level quantum policing right there.

The cognitive dissonance doesn't stop there. Dannels criticized fellow law enforcement officials (ahem, Sheriff Nanos, who says it, but still does it) who refuse to take on immigration enforcement, declaring:

"Let me remind you, your job is to protect that community. And no matter how the drugs got there, or how the evil got in your community, it is your problem."

Here's where things get spicy, dear readers. Dannels essentially admits his department was so consumed with the Trump-era border theater that actual community policing became an afterthought.

"My border operations center... last year alone, just on border crimes did 54 search warrants," he boasted, explaining how "our public safety compass over the last four years was focused on border."

So let me understand this correctly—you abandoned your actual job to chase political points, and somehow that's... good? That's like a teacher abandoning lesson plans to guard the playground gates while test scores plummet.

The sheriff's vision of community involvement reads like a dystopian neighborhood watch manual:

"See something say something in your local communities" and "support law enforcement."

Translation: become unpaid ICE agents and never question authority. How very... democratic.

But here's the kicker—when DeSimone asked about non-border related crimes, Dannels admitted with refreshing honesty:

"It's so refreshing for us, where we're going back into local drug dealers’ houses. I mean, I was out yesterday... at a drug house with our teams. I mean, it's just so refreshing to get back in what Sheriffs normally do."

"Refreshing to do what sheriffs normally do." Let that sink in. He literally just admitted he WASN'T doing his actual job for years.

Dan Grossenbach: The Ethics Professor Who Learned Nothing About Ethics

Enter Dan Grossenbach, whose tale of academic woe reads like a masterclass in missing the point. This former U of A ethics instructor was mysteriously not rehired after—and this is where it gets good—anonymous complaints about his public statements targeting LGBTQ+ individuals.

Grossenbach, displaying the investigative prowess of someone who clearly watches too much Law & Order, filed public records requests and obtained 2,700 pages of university emails. His smoking gun? Evidence that multiple community members complained about his behavior.

Imagine that—a public university responding to community concerns about an employee's public conduct. What's next, accountability in government?

"Anonymous concern citizen emails to the department saying, Dan Grossenbach is a professor in your department. And he is anti-gay, leading this movement that says trans people don't exist," Grossenbach recounted, apparently mystified that people might object to his crusade against vulnerable students.

But wait, there's more! Grossenbach insists he never said "hateful things about people," while simultaneously describing his activism as taking "arrows" for the "right cause." He can't seem to grasp that you can't be both an innocent victim AND a righteous warrior.

This is like claiming you're Switzerland while actively bombing neighboring countries.

The most revealing moment came when Grossenbach explained his teaching philosophy:

"The biggest influence for the founding fathers... was the Bible. You know, it's a lot of people debate, is this a Christian country is this a Christian nation or not? It may not be theologically, but it is certainly morally."

Here we see the Christian nationalist worldview in its purest form—the assumption that their particular interpretation of morality is universal and should govern public institutions. Never mind the Enlightenment philosophers, diverse religious traditions, or secular ethical frameworks that actually influenced our founding documents.

Teaching ethics while insisting that only one religious tradition matters is like teaching geography while insisting the Earth is flat. Technically possible, but probably not helpful.

The Catalina Foothills "Crisis": Manufacturing Outrage 101

The show's climax featured a secretly recorded health teacher at Catalina Foothills High School discussing—brace yourselves—actual health education topics with ninth-graders. The teacher addressed LGBTQ+ issues, religious interpretation, and family dynamics with the kind of nuance and care one would expect from a professional educator.

The teacher explained historical context around biblical interpretation:

"When we look at the different religions of the world, these are the different texts, the Bible and the Quran. And then we got the Torah... It's important to understand that these originated thousands of years ago... When English was developed, do you think they had to translate certain words into something that they thought it represented?"

Revolutionary stuff, right? Teaching students that translation and interpretation are complex? What's next, teaching them that critical thinking is useful?

The teacher also acknowledged a painful reality many LGBTQ+ students face:

"You know, most parents aren't understanding, aren't accepting, or whatever. And so many teenagers are potentially at risk... simply out of fear. One of the students last period mentioned how some of their friends today have been threatened to be kicked out of their homes because of the choices they're making when it comes to sexuality."

DeSimone and Grossenbach frame this acknowledgment of family rejection as an attack on parents. But here's the thing—students facing family rejection isn't caused by teachers talking about it. The rejection exists whether we acknowledge it or not. Pretending it doesn't happen won't make vulnerable kids safer.

Shooting the messenger doesn't make the message disappear, folks.

The teacher's actual crime? Encouraging critical thinking:

"My encouragement for you is to make sure you do your research, make decisions that you feel are good for you. Don't just base your decision simply because you've been told something."

How dare an educator encourage students to think for themselves! What kind of dystopian hellscape are we living in where teachers want students to develop analytical skills?

The Tucson Derangement Syndrome

No DeSimone show would be complete without his ritual denunciation of Tucson as a progressive wasteland. Today's evidence? A 90% increase in wildfires (blamed entirely on "crackheads") and a single assault at a Tanque Verde Safeway.

DeSimone read an email from "Damien at 857" describing an attack by a homeless person with a knife:

"I was just attacked at the Safeway on Tanque Verde of this morning by a homeless animal of a person. I called 911 as did the Safeway manager... Not one police officer showed up."

While this incident is genuinely concerning and the person deserves support, using isolated anecdotes to paint entire communities as war zones is classic fear-mongering. DeSimone, broadcasting from comfortable Marana while living in affluent Oro Valley, positions himself as an expert on urban Tucson's challenges.

It's amazing how clear your vision becomes when you're looking down from your ivory tower in the foothills.

The most telling moment came when DeSimone praised population growth in conservative areas while lamenting Tucson's stagnation:

"Wealth and prosperity brings entrepreneurs of all shapes, sizes and kinds... The entrepreneur there is respected. The entrepreneur here is not respected."

Funny how "respect for entrepreneurs" always seems to correlate with tax breaks for the wealthy and austerity for everyone else.

The Bigger Picture: Manufacturing Consent for Authoritarianism

This seemingly random collection of grievances follows a clear pattern that should concern every Tucsonan who values democracy:

Step 1: Create Crisis - Turn complex social issues into simple good-vs-evil narratives
Step 2: Blame the Other - Identify scapegoats (teachers, immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth)
Step 3: Demand Authority - Position conservative voices as the only solution
Step 4: Silence Opposition - Frame any criticism as attacks on "family values"

This playbook isn't accidental. It's designed to manufacture consent for increasingly authoritarian policies while protecting existing power structures.

When your entire worldview depends on being perpetually under attack, every fact becomes a threat and every teacher becomes an enemy.

Consider the implications: If questioning religious interpretation in an academic setting is "attacking faith," what happens to actual religious freedom? If acknowledging family rejection of LGBTQ+ youth is "undermining parents," what happens to vulnerable kids? If providing factual information is "indoctrination," what happens to education itself?

The Real Stakes

Behind this performance art lies real harm to real communities. When conservative media figures target individual teachers, those educators face harassment campaigns that can destroy careers and personal safety. When they demonize comprehensive sex education, students lose access to information that could literally save their lives.

The ripple effects extend beyond individual victims. When communities are convinced that public institutions are fundamentally corrupted, support for public education, healthcare, and social services erodes. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where underfunded institutions struggle to serve their communities, providing more ammunition for privatization advocates.

It's the political equivalent of sabotaging someone's car then offering to sell them a new one.

For our LGBTQ+ youth, the stakes couldn't be higher. When trusted adults tell them their identities are controversial political topics rather than basic facts of human diversity, we contribute to isolation, depression, and worse. When we secretly record their health education and turn it into a form of political theater, we betray the trust that makes education possible.

Hope in the Darkness

However, here's what DeSimone's echo chamber can't acknowledge: despite their doom-and-gloom narratives, our communities are filled with people doing the real work of democracy. Teachers like the one secretly recorded at Catalina Foothills continue providing quality, compassionate education. Social workers support vulnerable families. Community organizers build bridges across differences. Healthcare workers serve everyone regardless of politics.

The loudest voices aren't always the most representative ones.

For every manufactured crisis on conservative radio, there are dozens of success stories that never make the airwaves—because hope and progress don't drive the same engagement as fear and anger.

The Marana School District that DeSimone occasionally praises? They admitted their reading instruction was failing and completely overhauled their approach, improving third-grade reading proficiency from 4% to 30% in a single year. That's what actual accountability looks like—admitting mistakes and striving to do better.

Real leadership means saying "we were wrong" and fixing the problem, not doubling down on failure while blaming everyone else.

What Can We Do?

Support Quality Journalism: Subscribe to independent media outlets that provide fact-based reporting rather than grievance porn.
Engage Locally: Attend school board meetings, city council sessions, and community forums. Real democracy happens at the local level.
Protect Educators: When teachers face harassment campaigns for doing their jobs, show up with support. Send encouraging emails, attend board meetings, and vote for school board candidates who support professional educators.
Amplify Student Voices: Young people affected by these policies deserve to be heard in debates about their own education and welfare.
Practice Media Literacy: Learn to distinguish between legitimate news reporting and manufactured outrage designed to generate clicks and donations.

The Path Forward

Three Sonorans exists to cut through the noise and provide the kind of analysis that helps communities make informed decisions. In a media landscape dominated by corporate interests and political theater, independent voices become more crucial than ever.

We're not here to tell you what to think—we're here to give you the information you need to think for yourself.

Supporting independent media isn't just about getting better news coverage. It's about maintaining the democratic infrastructure that enables informed citizenship. When communities lose access to fact-based reporting, they become vulnerable to exactly the kind of manipulation we witnessed on DeSimone's show.

The future belongs to those building bridges, not walls—both literal and metaphorical. Keep supporting educators doing their jobs with integrity. Keep demanding better from leaders and media. Keep fighting for communities where everyone can thrive.

¡Adelante, Sonorans! The work continues.

Support Three Sonorans on Substack to keep this essential community journalism coming. Independent media depends on community support—not corporate advertisers or political donors.

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What Do You Think?

We want to hear from you, especially:

Educators: How are you handling increased political pressure while maintaining educational integrity?

Parents: How do you balance protecting your children with supporting their teachers and schools?

Students: What do you wish adults understood about your educational experiences?

Community Members: How can we better support vulnerable youth while respecting diverse family values?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Real change happens when communities engage in honest dialogue rather than political theater.

Quotes:

Sheriff Mark Dannels: "There is a decrease, especially in fentanyl, and that's a positive thing... And what they catch is only 5% to 10%. 90% still getting through."
Dan Grossenbach: "The biggest influence for the founding fathers... was the Bible... It may not be theologically [a Christian nation], but it is certainly morally."
Catalina Foothills Teacher: "My encouragement for you is to make sure you do your research, make decisions that you feel are good for you. Don't just base your decision simply because you've been told something."
Chris DeSimone: "The entrepreneur there [Phoenix area] is respected. The entrepreneur here [Tucson] is not respected."
Grossenbach on his firing: "Anonymous concern citizen emails to the department saying, Dan Grossenbach is a professor in your department. And he is anti-gay, leading this movement that says trans people don't exist."
Dannels on community policing: "It's so refreshing for us where we're going back into local drug dealers’ houses... It's just so refreshing to get back in what the Sheriff normally does."

All People Mentioned:

Chris DeSimone - Radio host, Oro Valley mayoral candidate; "The entrepreneur there is respected. The entrepreneur here is not respected."
Sheriff Mark Dannels - Cochise County Sheriff; Border security advocate with questionable math skills
Dan Grossenbach - Former U of A ethics instructor; "I think there's a call for people inside to be able to not give up"
Anonymous Catalina Foothills Teacher - Health educator secretly recorded; Actually teaching critical thinking
Regina Romero - Tucson Mayor; Blamed for city problems by DeSimone
Laura Conover - Pima County Attorney; Referenced negatively multiple times
Frank Gaffney - Former DOD official; Upcoming guest on companion show
"Damien at 857" - Email writer; "I was just attacked at the Safeway on Tanque Verde"
Lisa McGuire - Letter writer to Arizona Daily Star; "Why is anyone with a weapon allowed on a city bus?"

Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!

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