Arizona School Board Member Faces Criticism Over Nazi Salute Allegation

An Arizona school board member, Kimberly Fisher, faces calls for resignation after allegedly making a Nazi salute during a contentious meeting. Fisher later compared the board president to a dictator, saying, “All I could think of tonight was Hitler.” The incident took place at a Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board meeting on May 26.

During a dispute with board President Paul Carver Jr., Fisher raised her right arm and said, “Heil, heil” as shown in the meeting video. The argument stemmed from a disagreement over scheduling a community study session related to district boundary discussions. Fisher objected to holding the session in the afternoon, citing difficulties for community members to attend.

Carver moved to adjourn the meeting since the discussion ventured into an unposted agenda item, potentially violating Arizona’s Open Meeting Law. Carver clarified his actions were simply procedural and had no intention linked to dictatorship.

District officials and the Deer Valley Educators Association condemned Fisher’s actions. They stated that such gestures do not align with the district’s mission and vision. Association president Kelley Fisher expressed horror and called for Fisher’s resignation, stressing that her behavior is incompatible with public service.

After the meeting, Fisher shared her side on Facebook, persisting in criticizing Carver’s leadership as dictatorial. She further accused him of acting like a dictator and warned voters against supporting him. In her livestream, Fisher tied her thoughts to historical dictators, yet did not directly address her meeting gesture.

Carver responded in a separate video, explaining the board’s limited disciplinary capacity under Arizona law. He described Fisher’s behavior as “rampant and repetitive,” emphasizing its unprofessional nature. Deer Valley Unified School District serves over 33,000 students in northern Maricopa County, including areas like north Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Cave Creek, and New River.