Fresno Unified School District board member Keshia Thomas during a swearing in ceremony at the district’s nutrition services facility on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.
CRAIG KOHLRUSS
ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Facing calls to resign, Fresno Unified trustee Keshia Thomas issued a formal apology Monday to the man she accused of using a racial slur against her son and who later filed a lawsuit against her.
Don Arax, a former football coach and educator at Bullard High School, sued Thomas and the Fresno Unified School District for defamation. The case remains active.
Mr. Arax, I sincerely apologize to you and your family. I believed the information I had at the time, but I have since learned that the information I relied upon was not accurate.
Keshia Thomas
Fresno Unified School Board Trustee
In a 2022 podcast, Thomas — a school board member and current Fresno City Council candidate — alleged Arax used a racial epithet against her son.
But in a statement to the media last week, her son, Albert Alford Jr. — now an adult — said he was not truthful with his mother about the 2013 incident at a football camp. At the time, Alford was in middle school, hoping to play for Arax and Bullard. He alleged Arax used a racial slur against him, and shared that information with his mother.
In July, in a sworn court statement known as a declaration, Alford said he never told anyone — including his mother — Arax used a racial slur.
As a result of the revelation, the Fresno Teachers Association called for her to resign. The union said she lost trust with the community for the way she handled the lawsuit.
Fresno Unified School Board member Keisha Thomas, left, with former Bullard High football coach Donnie Arax, right, in a composite photo. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
In her 13-paragraph statement released Monday afternoon, Thomas said she took her son seriously. She made the formal apology in the sixth paragraph of her statement.
“Mr. Arax, I sincerely apologize to you and your family. 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,” Thomas wrote.
As a school board member, Thomas said she believed she had a responsibility to make all students feel safe. “My concern was not only for my son, but for every child entrusted to our schools,” Thomas said in her statement.
Apology not accepted
Brian Whelan, attorney for Don Arax, did not accept Thomas’ apology, in a statement to The Bee.
“This is not an apology. It is the latest version of a story that finally ran out of places to go,” Whelan said.
Whelan faulted Thomas for not saying “the obvious: ‘I falsely accused Don Arax.’ Instead, she shifts responsibility to her own son, whose sworn declaration directly contradicts what she testified he told her.”
“That is not contrition. It is public relations,” Whelan said.
He added that he welcomes Thomas’ admission at trial.
Thomas takes ‘responsibility’
Thomas said she will continue to standup for what is right and “the courage to speak up.”
“Today, standing up means acknowledging what I now know, taking responsibility for my words and apologizing to Mr. Arax and his family. I stood up then. I’m standing up now. Because standing for what’s right means standing for everyone—even when it isn’t popular or convenient,” Thomas said.
Despite “taking responsibility,” Thomas does not mention the defamation lawsuit, or if she is now willing to settle.
Thomas’ attorneys filed a court motion last week, abandoning two key defenses she made previously — that her allegation was true, and that she had certain qualified immunity.
Last month, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled that Thomas would remain a defendant, denying a motion to dismiss her from the case. Fresno Unified filed a motion to dismiss the district from the case. That will be heard Oct. 7. A trial is scheduled to start Dec. 7.
Through June 9, the district has paid $235,330 in defense fees for itself. It has also paid Thomas’ defense costs of $134,421. While the fees are currently covered, they have not indemnified Thomas. That means if a judge finds Thomas liable for damages, she would be on her own to pay, and not covered by the district.
Bee reporter Leqi Zhong contributed to this story.
The Fresno Bee
David Taub joined the Fresno Bee in 2026 after reporting 10 years for digital publication GV Wire. He has worked in the Fresno market since 2007. Prior to moving to the Central Valley, he worked for TV and radio stations on the Central Coast. He has also worked behind the scenes in local TV and radio. During his career, he has covered City Hall, the state Capitol, the White House and several houses of government in between. When not in a reporting capacity, he works tracking stats for the Fresno Grizzlies as an official scorekeeper, and also with televised basketball and football games. He has worked the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and several MLB games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue!