In a startling turn of events, Ohio school board member Anne Zakkour gave the board president Simon Patry a mocking Nazi salute and chant during a recent meeting. J

ust before Patry announced his resignation as president and school board member, Zakkour took these acts. There is controversy around this occurrence and it has brought into question the dynamics of the Tipp City School Board.

Tensions increased on Tuesday, September 5, during the school board meeting when President Simon Patry brought up the subject of openness about ongoing district projects. Board member Anne Zakkour tried to interrupt him while he was trying to talk about this, which resulted in a heated altercation between the two.

Patry ordered Zakkour to stop talking to him and forbade her from making any noises that may disturb him. Angry at Patry for what she saw as her oppressive actions, Zakkour raised her left arm in a caustic “Oh, Sieg Heil” gesture in response. She later gave an explanation for her behavior, saying that it was intended to be a satirical and symbolic sign of submission to a board official who was operating in an autocratic manner.

Following the event, Anne Zakkour voiced her displeasure with Patry’s management approach. She claimed that for years, he had acted like a despot inside the board, expecting complete submission from the other members. Zakkour described her outburst at the meeting as a symbolic protest against Patry’s authoritarian demeanor.

Simon Patry delivered a shocking announcement toward the end of the “work session” meeting: he was resigning from the school board of education. He made it clear that everything about his departure, including his position as board president, took effect right away.

Additionally, Patry made the move to name Vice President Amber Drum the new head of the board. But Zakkour cut him short, asking to be clarified on a term and language related to Drum’s role.

The website of the school district already displays the new leadership roles. It’s still unclear if Anne Zakkour’s provocative gesture during the meeting had any bearing on Simon Patry’s decision to step down.

The event took place in Tipp City, which is 16 miles north of Dayton and has 2,356 kids enrolled, most of whom are white.

Shortly after an uncomfortable event at the US Open where a fan was expelled from Arthur Ashe Stadium for allegedly yelling a similar statement, this incident happened. The supporter chanted “the most famous Hitler phrase there is” during German tennis player Alexander Zverev’s match against Jannik Sinner, according to Alex.

Watch the video below: