Deer Valley school board member Nazi salute sparks resignation rally

DEER VALLEY, Ariz. - New details have emerged after a Deer Valley school board member flashed a Nazi salute. The incident happened last week at a board meeting and was caught on camera.

What we know:

The Deer Valley Education Association is holding a rally for Kimberly Fisher's resignation next week. Representatives say the board member's Nazi salute, along with saying "Heil," are disqualifying for her office. 

However, she maintains the board's president was acting like a dictator, defending her actions on social media. 

The backstory:

The gesture happened at the end of the meeting when the scheduled time boiled over, after someone asked, "Is there a motion to adjourn or are we just going to do this for a while."

Fisher later went on Facebook Live and reenacted the salute, saying she was mocking Board President Paul Carver, claiming he was behaving like a dictator. 

"All I could think of tonight was Hitler, so I said ‘Heil’ or whatever," Fisher said during the stream. 

It stemmed from an issue she had with scheduling an executive session on district boundaries, but some educators in the district want Fisher to resign.

"This nonsense that a board can’t talk to even schedule a meeting, which is what he said in there at the board meeting. That is stupid," she said. "The board is not functional anymore and part of that is because the superintendent has misled information to the community or to board members so that he can push his agenda."

What they're saying:

Kelley Fisher, who leads the Deer Valley Education Association, says Kim Fisher has a pattern of disqualifying behavior. 

"She brings a lot of negativity and there’s not a lot of cohesion between our other four board members and her," she said. "I’m very angry and disturbed and disgusted."

That's why she said it's important the community's voices are heard. Now, she's organizing a rally for Fisher to resign. 

"A lot of people have reached out to me, asking how they can help, what they can do, and we really thought that the best thing to do was to give everybody an opportunity to come together and show how they feel about it, show their anger and displeasure," said Kelley Fisher.

Big picture view:

But what most would find hateful, is still lawfully protected. Aaron Terr with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), said the First Amendment protects speech that people might find bigoted, and extends to public officials. 

"What people call hate speech is generally protected unless it falls into a specific narrow exception to the First Amendment, such as true threats," Terr said. "Because in our system of self-government, they need to be able to speak freely about public issues and speak on behalf of the people that they represent."

Dig deeper:

Carver told FOX 10 her behavior is unacceptable. 

Phone calls, text messages, and a visit to Fisher's home went unanswered. The person who answered the door at her residence said she is not taking any questions.

District responds to incident

The Deer Valley Unified School District released the following comment statement on May 28:

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 and should not be attributed to other Board members, staff, other members of the school community or the District.

What's next:

The rally for Fisher's resignation will take place on June 2. 

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