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Ex-employee says School Board Association fired him for investigating executive director

A former Arizona School Board Association employee claims he was wrongfully fired from his position there.

Nicholas Buzan was the director of Legal and Policy Services for the association until he was fired on Aug. 15.

Buzan had ordered an independent investigation into ASBA’s now executive director, Devin Del Palacio, due to reports that Del Palacio lied on his resume about having a bachelor's degree.

The board moved forward with hiring Del Palacio despite that, which led to the resignation of the board’s president and two other employees.

Buzan said he was a model employee and was given no good reason for the firing.

In an email to KJZZ, ASBA director of communications Heidi Vega said:

"While I truly wish I could offer you comprehensive factual details and historical context surrounding the individual's termination and any 'claims,' that are just that, 'claims' and not factual," she wrote, "I regret to inform you that due to our policy on safeguarding personnel information, I am unable to provide the specific information you're seeking."

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Senior field correspondent Bridget Dowd has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.