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The former Fresno City College professor and basketball coach who earlier this year was cleared of accusations of making violent threats has sued the community college system’s embattled chancellor for allegedly orchestrating his arrest in retaliation.
Madec filed the lawsuit in October, a month before hundreds of State Center Community College District union faculty members unanimously cast a no-confidence vote in chancellor Carole Goldsmith.
In the complaint, Madec says Goldsmith abused her power and had him arrested by SCCCD officers twice in October 2023. Madec had been on administrative leave since that August following accusations that he threatened to harm students and faculty, including Goldsmith.
Following his arrest, the campus posted a warning notifying the community that Madec was a threat, in accordance with the Clery Act of 1998.
“Plaintiff is informed and believes that Goldsmith was the driving force behind the Notice and that she knew, or should have known, that the charges against Madec were baseless. The arrest is what allowed Goldsmith to post the notice,” Madec’s complaint reads.
A judge dismissed the case against Madec in January due to lack of evidence, and he was cleared of wrongdoing, according to Madec’s attorney, Rob Carroll.
“Obviously, Mr. Madec is very happy and wants to move on with his life,” Carroll said in January. “He’s not angry with anybody, he just wants to move on.”
Now, Madec is accusing Goldsmith of damaging his career and tarnishing his reputation. He’s seeking compensation and requesting a jury trial.
Butch Wagner and Mark Schallert, the attorneys representing Madec in his lawsuit against Goldsmith, said the case is strengthened by the January ruling that Madec was arrested without probable cause. They said their case accuses Goldsmith of orchestrating Madec’s false arrest.
Goldsmith did not respond to The Bee’s request for comment Monday.
“While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we can say that any disciplinary action or personnel decision we take is guided by law, district policy, and our unwavering commitment to campus safety. In this case, an administrative law judge upheld the district’s decision to terminate Mr. Madec after a thorough review of the evidence,” a SCCCD spokesperson said.
In a separate civil case filed in September, Madec asked the court to overturn the Office of Administrative Hearings’ recent decision to uphold his 2024 termination. The OAH is a public entity that works to help resolve administrative disputes.
According to that lawsuit, Madec does not deny making a comment during an August 2023 class to the effect of, “If I didn’t have my family, I would or could have hurt the people responsible for my termination in 2020.” Madec attributes this statement to a “mental health episode,” per the separate lawsuit.
Madec, who had served as Fresno City College’s basketball coach for fourteen seasons, was placed on administrative leave in early 2020 following alleged violations over snacks and team barbecues.
He briefly returned to coaching at Buchanan High School in June 2022, and Madec returned to teaching at Fresno City College that August after contesting his termination.
Ed Madec filed a lawsuit against Carole Goldsmith in October.
Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District, at Fresno City College Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Fresno.