PHOENIX — A Deer Valley Unified School District board member is facing community backlash after she held up a Nazi salute and said “heil” at the end of a board meeting this week.
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The board member, Kimberly Fisher, took to Facebook after the Tuesday night meeting and expressed her displeasure with how the end of the meeting was handled, even calling the board president a “dictator.”
“Anyways, is there a motion to adjourn or are we just going to do this?” Carver said during the exchange.
After another member seconded the motion and the board called for a vote, Fisher responded with “Heil Heil” while raising her arm in a Nazi salute.
The moment quickly sparked outrage throughout the Deer Valley community and beyond.
In a Facebook Live video posted after the meeting, Fisher did not apologize for her actions. Instead, she defended the gesture, saying it was directed at board president Paul Carver, whom she accused of acting like a dictator during discussions over proposed school boundary changes.
“All I could think of tonight was Hitler,” Fisher said in the video. “So I said, Heil, or whatever. I’m so tired of this.”
Fisher repeatedly criticized Carver in the livestream, accusing district leadership of shutting out community voices and mishandling public concerns.
“The end is kind of interesting,” Fisher said of the meeting footage, “and to watch Paul actually lose his cool because he’s come to realize that what he’s done as a dictator running the board has damaged [the district], and people are getting tired of it.”
Carver condemned Fisher’s actions during an interview with 12News, saying the gesture does not reflect the values of the district or community.
“I just need the community, and indeed the world, to know that those words and that motion that was made does not reflect the community of Deer Valley, the Deer Valley School District, myself, anybody, as far as I can tell, except apparently the person that did it,” Carver said.
According to Carver, the district has received a flood of emails from members of Jewish communities around the world expressing concern and outrage over the incident.
“Everybody deserves to be treated equally and fairly,” Carver said. “Everybody’s rights need to be honored, and to that point, nobody should ever be singled out and victimized the way that they were at the Tuesday meeting.”
Under Arizona law, elected school board members cannot simply remove another board member from office. Carver said any formal action would ultimately have to come from voters, including the possibility of a recall effort.
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“Whether that’s getting a petition together with these are our complaints, and these are the people that support it, and presenting it at a board meeting, the community can do those kind of things,” Carver said. “They could even recall her if that’s something that they thought that they would want to do.”
The Deer Valley Education Association has also called for Fisher to resign, describing her as “unfit for service.”
Fisher’s public biography states that she welcomes community engagement, something Carver encouraged residents to exercise in the wake of the controversy.
“The district did not hire her, the community did,” Carver said. “So, this is a call out to the community that elections have consequences, and we need to be just a little bit more engaged and do your best to get to know people.”
The next Deer Valley school board meeting is scheduled for June 9. Carver said board members are considering adding a discussion item to the agenda to address Fisher’s actions during the meeting.
12News has reached out to Fisher by phone and by visiting her home, we have been unable to reach her.
The Deer Valley Unified School District offered the following statement on Fisher’s actions:
The District does not condone, support, or endorse gestures or language associated with hate, discrimination, intimidation, or violence in any form. Such actions do not reflect the mission or vision of Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD).
DVUSD remains committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students, staff, families, and community members. We recognize the concern this incident has caused within our community and remain focused on ensuring that our schools remain places where every individual feels valued and respected.
As an elected official, Mrs. Fisher speaks and acts independently. Her views and actions do not reflect those of the District.
Arizona State Rep. Stephanie Simacek, D-District 2, also sits on the school board and called for an “immediate censure” of Fisher.
“What happened in that room was not a joke. It was not a political statement or an expression of frustration,” Simacek said in a statement. “It was a deliberate invocation of one of the most evil ideologies in human history on display in a building where our children come to learn.”
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The full school board meeting can be seen here.