Do I have any recourse available to me?

I previously worked at a correctional facility at the end of 26 years in law enforcement/corrections. I was a firearms instructor, chemical agents instructor, general instructor, mentor for the security team as well as the case managers, and I worked in the training department longer than anybody else, to include the manager of the department and the clerks there. Nobody had more experience or education than I do.

They decided they needed to have a lead instructor position, which I thought I was a shoe-in for. They in turn gave it to another instructor that had no experience with firearms before I taught him, and he was only an instructor for approximately one year. A couple of years go by and he decides to take another position, giving up the lead instructor spot. I again thought they would give it to me, but in June, they gave it to another officer who only became an instructor in April, and I trained him as well. Frustrated, I left the position I was in and went onto open my own company (which is doing well). Before I left, most of the administrative staff came to speak with me, asking me to stay because my leadership is valuable to the team. I told them what would make me stay, and they claimed they couldn't give it to me, even though they are the ones that make the decisions of whom has the title. In my absence, they also had a meeting with the training manager and told them to stop playing favorites with the instructors, or else (it has become a real problem with the manager picking their favorite instructors to teach classes and not others).

The person they last gave the title to, left at the end of August to a federal agency, leaving the spot open, so one of the administrative team called me and asked if I wanted to come back to take on the role. I said it was a possibility, but they then tell me I would have to come back as an officer (my old position was higher than that with much more pay) if I want to have it.

What options do I have? I live in Arizona and that it is a right-to-work state, but they finally offer me the position after years of screwing me over, only to tell me I have to basically come back in a demoted position if I want the title that I have earned multiple times over. Am I just left with taking it as offered or don't go back at all? I left the career of 26 years over the issue, despite loving the job I was doing.