Mary Beth Faller

The Republic | azcentral.com

Pam Aister, a teacher who was fired from the Fountain Hills Unified School District last month over her handling of a perceived bullying incident, has joined forces with a local civil-rights leader to try to get her job back

Civil-rights activist the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, who appeared Tuesday with Aister and her attorney at a press conference in Phoenix, said he's sent complaints to a host of state officials over her termination last month.

"It was unjust and she shouldn't have been fired for standing up for this student," said Benjamin Taylor, her attorney, who hinted at possible legal action.

Aister, who had taught in the district for 24 years, was fired by the governing board last month for using harsh language in a confrontation with fourth-graders at Four Peaks Elementary School. She said she was protecting a Black student from racial taunts. The district has said there was no evidence of racial taunts.

The district is on break, but Superintendent Tom Lawrence told The Arizona Republic Tuesday that he is not aware of any lawsuit and that district policy is to not comment on matters of litigation.

He referred to the statement released by the district on Oct. 3: "So what is most unfortunate is that a group of young students is made to sit by as they are unjustly labeled and maligned as racists, bullies and now liars," the district statement says. "Such mistreatment of these students, or of any student, is wholly inconsistent with the district's values and missions."

Maupin said he sent letters to several federal and state agencies, which he hopes lead to an investigation of Aister's case and hearings about racial bullying.

The 9-year-old student, Malacai Washington, who is Black, has moved to another district. He also appeared at the press conference along with his mother, saying he had been taunted for months, including being called a racial slur.

Aister gave her account of the events that day, May 8, saying that she came upon an argument among several fourth-graders. She said the other boys were "leaning in" on the Black student and she told them: "He's in my room now. He's not alone anymore. If you're picking on him, you're picking on me,'' she said Tuesday. "There will be no more teasing, no more taunting, no more racial names."

She said the boys then left for the playground.

"Then one of the mothers of the other students said I had threatened her son."

A hearing officer's report states that Aister told the student she reprimanded that "he should watch what he says and what he does because she will be watching him. She said that should cure his racist ways."

Aister said she hopes to return to Four Peaks.

"They're my extended family. Yes I want to go back."

The firing has caused an uproar in the community, with several people attending the governing board meeting Oct. 8 to voice their support for the members' vote and others held a rally over the weekend to back Aister.

A petition at change.org to reverse the firing has drawn 116,598 supporters.