Arizona School Board Member Gives Nazi Salute at Meeting
An Arizona school board member performed a Nazi salute at a meeting while protesting scheduling, prompting swift condemnation from district officials.
Kim Fisher, a member of the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board, made the Hitler-inspired gesture while clashing with board president Paul Carver Jr. during a contentious session on May 26, as New York Post reports.
Fisher, who has served on the board since 2021 and has been a parent in the district for 24 years, raised her right arm toward Carver and shouted “Heil, heil” during the meeting livestream. The incident occurred as the board president was attempting to adjourn the session.
The dispute centered on the scheduling of a community work study session set for Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 PM. Fisher objected that the timing would prevent working parents from attending.
She challenged the board on the practicality of the meeting time, arguing that scheduling community input sessions when parents cannot attend defeats their purpose. Both Carver and DVUSD Superintendent Curtis Finch defended the scheduling decision, stating it had already been discussed among board members.
The district moved swiftly to condemn Fisher’s actions and distance itself from the board member. Officials released a statement making clear that the district does not condone gestures or language associated with hate, discrimination, intimidation or violence in any form.
The statement emphasized that as an elected official, Fisher speaks and acts independently, and her views and actions should not be attributed to other board members, staff or the broader school community.
The Deer Valley Unified School District serves more than 33,000 students across 41 schools in northern Maricopa County.
Carver, a Marine veteran who has served as board president since 2023 and is currently running in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 2, called Fisher’s behavior abhorrent and unacceptable.
In a Facebook post, he wrote that the symbols and language of Nazi Germany represent a dark history of hatred, genocide and oppression. Displaying them during an official public meeting of an educational institution, he stated, constitutes an absolute betrayal of public trust.
Kelley Fisher, president of the district’s teachers’ union, organized a rally calling for Kim Fisher’s resignation on the same day as the board meeting. The Deer Valley Educators Association leader declared that any leader who uses a Nazi salute during a school board meeting is unfit for public service.
Kim Fisher showed no signs of backing down, doubling down on her accusations against Carver in a Facebook livestream posted hours after the meeting. She claimed the board has been operating under what she described as a dictatorship marked by manipulation.
Fisher argued that in the United States, dictatorships do not work, and that school districts should have no kings because parents own their children’s education and pay the taxes that fund schools. She revealed she had been censured by the board previously, claiming it was retaliation for calling out Carver’s behavior.
The embattled board member encouraged viewers to watch the end of the meeting, describing it as interesting, but notably did not address or apologize for the Nazi salute itself.
With information from New York Post
