A board member of the Deer Valley Unified School District in Arizona, Ms. Kim Fisher, is facing a wave of criticism after performing a Nazi-salute gesture and yelling “Heil” during a contentious school board meeting on May 26.
According to the meeting's livestream, Ms. Fisher raised her right arm towards Board President Paul Carver Jr. and repeatedly chanted “Heil, heil” during a debate over scheduling a community meeting at 4:30 PM — a time she claimed many parents would be unable to attend.
Ms. Fisher accused the district's leadership of operating in a “dictatorial” manner and asserted that community meetings were merely ceremonial rather than genuinely listening to parents' opinions.
Following the incident, the Deer Valley Unified School District issued a statement affirming that it does not condone actions or language related to hatred, discrimination, or violence in any form. The district emphasized that Ms. Fisher's actions were personal and do not represent the other board members or the school.
Mr. Paul Carver Jr., a former U.S. Marine and current Board President, called Ms. Fisher's actions “disgusting” and “unacceptable.” He stated that using symbols associated with Nazism in a public education meeting was a betrayal of public trust.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kelley Fisher — president of the district's teachers' union — organized a rally calling for Ms. Kim Fisher's resignation, stating that any leader performing a Nazi-salute gesture in a school board meeting is “unfit for public service.”
Ms. Kim Fisher later defended her views in a Facebook livestream, reiterating her accusation that the school board was operating like a “dictatorship,” but did not directly address the controversial gesture made during the meeting.
