High School Coach Exonerated After Years, $350k In Legal Fees
A defamation lawsuit involving Fresno Unified School District trustee Keshia Thomas has intensified after new statements raised questions about a racial-slur allegation she made against a former Bullard High School football coach. Thomas is being sued by former Bullard coach and teacher Don Arax, who says she falsely accused him of using the N-word toward […]
A defamation lawsuit involving Fresno Unified School District trustee Keshia Thomas has intensified after new statements raised questions about a racial-slur allegation she made against a former Bullard High School football coach.
Thomas is being sued by former Bullard coach and teacher Don Arax, who says she falsely accused him of using the N-word toward her son. The dispute dates back to comments Thomas made during a May 17, 2022, appearance on GV Wire’s “Unfiltered” podcast, where she discussed an alleged incident involving Arax and her son, Albert Alford Jr., in 2013.
Arax filed his defamation lawsuit later in 2022 and has maintained that the accusation was false and seriously damaged his reputation.
The case has now created political and financial consequences for Thomas, who serves on the Fresno Unified School District board and is also campaigning for a seat on the Fresno City Council. The Fresno Teachers Association has called for her resignation from the school board.
“How can we, as a community, trust that what she says is accurate, it’s true?” FTA President Manuel Bonilla told ABC30.
Fresno Unified had been paying legal expenses connected with the lawsuit because Thomas was serving as a district trustee when the dispute arose. According to figures reported by The Fresno Bee, the district had paid $235,330 for its own defense through June 9 and another $134,421 toward Thomas’ defense, bringing the combined amount to nearly $370,000.
The district has since announced that it will stop paying Thomas’ legal expenses.
“FUSD agreed to help cover trustee Thomas’ legal fees at a time when we had no reason to question her account,” the district said in a statement reported by ABC30.
The district said its position changed after information emerged during the litigation.
“Since then, new information has come to light. In her deposition, Thomas acknowledged that some of her earlier statements were not accurate, and her son made a similar acknowledgment in his own declaration,” the statement continued.