A Fountain Hills Middle School teacher has filed an open meeting law complaint with the Attorney General’s Office against Fountain Hills Unified School District.

Erin Willis alleges that FHUSD made a Nov. 25 hearing – where she was appealing her termination – closed to the public because they would not allow viewers to join the meeting virtually via Zoom.

FHUSD Superintendent Kelly Glass said that the hearing was open for the public to attend in person, but not virtually.

The FHUSD Governing Board terminated Willis’ position at the Oct. 21 School Board meeting, alleging that Willis had violated district policy by making false statements.

Willis, who has vulnerable family members in her household, alleges that she was retaliated against by the district because she had been critical of the district’s reopening plan concerning COVID-19.

The School Board was poised to make a final decision regarding Willis’ employment at its Dec. 9 meeting, but the case hearing officer had not yet completed their recommendation.

The Governing board will revisit the topic at its first meeting of 2021 on Jan. 13.