Arizona School Board Member Faces Resignation Calls Over Nazi Gesture Incident

An Arizona school board member is under pressure to resign following an incident during a public meeting where she appeared to make a Nazi salute. The tension arose from a disagreement with the board president, which led the board member to draw a controversial historical comparison.

The Incident

During the May 26 meeting of the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board, Kimberly Fisher, a board member, was seen on video raising her arm and uttering “Heil, heil”. This occurred amid a dispute with board President Paul Carver Jr. over the timing of a community study session concerning district boundaries.

Fisher argued against scheduling the session for the afternoon, citing attendance difficulties for community members. In response, Carver moved to adjourn the meeting, noting that the discussion veered off the posted agenda, potentially breaching Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.

Reactions

Carver later clarified in a Facebook video that the adjournment was a move to comply with state regulations and criticized Fisher’s gesture. He emphasized that such actions are inappropriate in any setting.

The district also condemned Fisher’s actions, stating these did not align with their values or the district’s mission. The Deer Valley Educators Association echoed this condemnation, calling Fisher’s behavior unacceptable for a public servant and demanding her resignation.

Fisher’s Response

In a Facebook livestream following the meeting, Fisher stood by her criticism of Carver, repeatedly labeling his leadership as dictatorial. Fisher did not directly mention the gesture but drew comparisons to dictators from history, including Hitler and Pol Pot.

Limitation of Actions

In a separate video, Carver explained to the community that Arizona laws prevent school boards from disciplining elected officials, which limits the actions they can take against Fisher.

Deer Valley Unified School District caters to over 33,000 students in northern Maricopa County. The episode has attracted attention, with the community and various bodies denouncing Fisher’s conduct.