June 26, 2026, 5:01 a.m. MT Arizona’s largest school district backed off a policy limiting public criticism after a conservative think tank warned it violated the First Amendment. The board on June 25 voted to change the policy, which previously allowed people to praise board and staff members but not criticize them. In April, the Goldwater Institute sent a letter to Mesa Public Schools asking the district to reconsider a policy prohibiting “personal attacks."