The Deer Valley Unified School District governing board president abruptly adjourned Tuesday night’s board meeting after calling another member out of order.
Board President Paul Carver gaveled the meeting over during the regular portion of the agenda when board members present individual reports they may have toward the end of each bimonthly meeting.
Carver advised Board Member Kim Fisher, who had spoken for almost six minutes, that her time was up and fellow board members would get their chance to provide reports.
Fisher said she would not end her remarks, Carver asked her three times to yield time to the other board members, and Fisher at one point said, “Mr. Carver you are going to get yourself sued.”
Carver adjourned the meeting.
This is the second Deer Valley Unified board meeting this month that featured controversy involving Fisher.
A resident, Amanda Loos, spoke out about comments on Facebook she attributed to Fisher, who later admitted she made the remarks.
Fisher’s social media comment, “Strange to see how evil breeds in a family but there was multiple generations of evil spawned,” was taken by Loos as a direct insult to herself, her mother, and her unborn child.
Loos, who lives in the DVUSD community and whose mother, Ann O’Brien, previously served two terms on the Deer Valley Unified board including as its president, went to the meeting that night to call out Fisher for the perceived insult.
“You all sit up there and represent over 33,000 children so currently at this moment in time my husband and I have decided that our daughter will not attend school in this district,” Loos said. “Because at the highest level of representation those were the words spoken about my daughter. That my daughter was another generation of evil spawned.”
Fisher admitted that she made the comment but claimed that she had received an “inappropriate” phone call from Loos’ mother while Fisher was in the hospital during a medical emergency.
“When I made this comment it was not in reference to your child. It was in reference to you and your mother,” Fisher said during her remarks on Jan. 14.
A few minutes after that, fellow Board Member Stephanie Simacek addressed the situation during her own board report.
“Bullies are often referenced in board reports within our schools as being an issue that’s going on in our schools,” Simacek said. “I would just ask that board members take a good look at themselves. Oftentimes one’s own accusations are really just their admittance of truth.”
On Wednesday this week, Carver took to the social media platform X to suggest all board members two years ago had agreed to limit board reports to five minutes, and he elaborated on the early Tuesday night meeting adjournment.
“In the case of last night, the business portion of the meeting had concluded. All that remained was Board and Superintendent Reports,” Carver posted. “The offending Board member who chose to disregard the agreed upon rules made it clear they had no intention of yielding their time so other Board members could give their reports.”
This month’s meetings are not the first time Fisher has been involved in public controversy as a board member. In 2017 a DVUSD teacher raised concerns when Fisher had used profanity during a public Twitter spat between the two.
The next Deer Valley Unified governing board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11.
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Steve Stockmar News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment
YourValley.net
Meet Steve Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.
Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.
Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.
Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.
Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.
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