By Allison Needles
The News Tribune
A Tacoma Public Schools teacher whose alleged ties to a white supremacy group spurred a district investigation will resign.
District personnel records from the Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 25 show Xane Fisher’s separation of employment from First Creek Middle School, effective Aug. 31, 2021 when his contract expires. Fisher has been on paid leave since September.
A Tacoma Public Schools spokesperson confirmed Fisher’s resignation.
“After receiving reports from community members and viewing videos of Mr. Fisher, the District initiated an investigation into allegations that Mr. Fisher engaged in conduct that violates the District’s Policies and Regulations related to Employee Conduct; as well as the professional practices standards for certificated school employees,” Tacoma Public Schools said in a statement to The News Tribune on Monday. “While Mr. Fisher resigned before the district completed its investigation, due to the serious nature of the concerns, the District is sharing its information with OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices.”
A records request by The News Tribune for documents related to the investigation is pending.
The district launched an investigation in September after posts circulated on social media appearing to show Fisher participating in a banned Proud Boys Facebook group “induction video” in 2018. The video appears to show Fisher saying his name and that he was “a proud western Chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world,” a declaration shared by members of the Proud Boys. The Proud Boys are described as an alt-right hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
After complaints, Tacoma Public Schools placed Fisher on administrative leave in September while investigating. He has not been teaching since being placed on leave and will not do so through the end of his contract in August. Teachers under a contract who are placed on administrative leave continue to receive their salary.
The News Tribune was unsuccessful in reaching Fisher for comment through social media and email as of Monday afternoon.
Fisher began working with Tacoma Public Schools on June 17 as an onboard employee, with a start date of Sept. 1 and an annual salary of $68,756, according to a public records obtained by The News Tribune.
Prior to Tacoma Public Schools, Fisher was an English teacher at Graham-Kapowsin High School. He was investigated by the Bethel School District in September 2019 after a citizen complaint alleged he participated in the Proud Boys, according to documents obtained by The News Tribune.
At the time, Bethel concluded there were “no overtly racial or otherwise inappropriate statements that warranted further action by the district,” according to a Sept. 5 letter from the human resources department. The district did review its nondiscrimination policy with Fisher, records show.
In an Oct. 8, 2019 response letter following the Bethel investigation, Fisher called the allegations false and claimed antifa, an antifascist group, was responsible for spreading them.
“Someone in that organization has stolen personal data from before I was a Bethel employee, fabricated a narrative, and manipulated the public sector’s due process to harass myself and my family over false accusations they created,” Fisher wrote.
“I’m not involved with any organization that espouses ideologies about supremacy of any kind, promotes hateful activity, or practices any form of intolerance,” he continued.
