This story was originally published by Fresnoland.
Fresno Unified trustee Keshia Thomas issued a public apology on Monday to Don Arax, a former coach of the district whom Thomas falsely accused of using a racial slur against her son.
The statement comes a day after the Fresno Teachers Association called for Thomas to resign, citing a loss of public trust coming from Arax’ defamation case against the trustee and the district. A few days before that, The Fresno Bee reported that Thomas’ son, Albert Alford Jr., said that the alleged event in 2013 with Arax did not happen.
Now, Thomas has issued an apology to Arax and his family, saying that the allegations she had made against him relied on information she says was not accurate.
“Mr. Arax, I sincerely apologize to you and your family,” Thomas’ statement read in part, adding, “I believed the information I had at the time, but I have since learned that the information I relied upon was not accurate. Had I known then what I know today, I would not have made those statements. I cannot undo what I said, but I can acknowledge what I know today, take responsibility for the words I spoke and offer you the apology you deserve.”
Originally, Thomas alleged in 2022 that Arax had used a racial slur against her son while she spoke on GV Wire’s “Unfiltered” podcast. Arax was ‘released’ from his position as a football coach at Bullard High and sought legal action against Thomas and the district, a case that still remains active.
Thomas did not comment on FTA’s calls to resign in her statement on Monday.
FTA’s statement on Thomas also called for transparency on how much defending the case was costing the district and on decisions by the board relating to the case.
“This is bigger than one legal defense or one court filing,” FTA President Manuel Bonilla said, adding, “A trustee made a serious public accusation about a district employee. Four years later, the factual foundation of that accusation is being challenged, conflicting accounts have emerged, and Trustee Thomas has abandoned the defense that her statements were true. The question now is whether the community can still trust her judgment. We do not believe it can.”
Arax could not immediately be reached for comment.
For now, Arax’s case against Thomas is scheduled to begin on Dec. 7 of this year. Fresno Unified itself filed a motion to be dismissed from the suit, which will be heard earlier on Oct. 7. A judge last month also denied Thomas from being dismissed from the case.