A member of the Fresno school board is facing increasing calls to resign after she admitted her earlier accusations against a high school football coach were false. Keshia Thomas had claimed on a podcast in 2022 that Bullard High School coach Don Arax used a racial slur against her son in 2013, but she later acknowledged that this allegation was not accurate.
Arax initiated a defamation lawsuit against Thomas the same year the allegations were made. Manuel Bonilla, who leads the Fresno Teachers Association, expressed that, “The public’s trust has been lost. She should resign and act responsibly.”
In a recent development, Thomas’ son signed a sworn statement in July stating that he had never been defamed by Arax and had not reported such an incident. However, he changed his position weeks later, claiming he had told his mother about the alleged racial slur and admitted he lied in his statement.
The school district is now reconsidering whether to continue covering Thomas’ legal fees, which exceed $350,000 concerning the defamation lawsuit from Arax. A statement from the district noted, “FUSD agreed to pay Trustee Thomas’ legal costs at a time when there was no reason to question Trustee Thomas’ explanation. Since then, new information has come to light.”
In a statement, Thomas apologized to Arax and his family, explaining, “At the time, I believed my son. When my child told me something related to race had occurred, I took it seriously as a mother… My concern was for all children in the school’s care, not just for my son.” She further acknowledged that the information she had relied on regarding Arax was not accurate.
Despite this, she believes that calls for her resignation are inappropriate. Thomas reacted to the pressure saying it would be “irresponsible” for her to step down. “The attempt to turn accountability into a political demand for my resignation is irresponsible and distracting. I will not resign to recognize the truth or do what I believe is right,” she asserted.
The defamation lawsuit could potentially be settled through mediation or head to trial in December, with Arax originally seeking more than $10,000 in damages. Notably, the Fresno Unified School District ranks as the third largest school district in California.
