![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_racistphotoprotest01.jpg\" "\\"FRS_racistphotoprotest01.jpg\\"")
Students gather in the center quad area at Bullard High School during the final period of classes on Friday, May 6, 2022. A social media backlash has been felt across the district when a photo of a Bullard student wearing a mock Ku Klux Klan outfit was shared online. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n
Brian Whelan, Arax\u2019s attorney, introduced the text exchange during a March 31, 2026, deposition of Torigian. The messages from April and May 2022, before and after Thomas\u2019 podcast appearance, include conversations about the controversial photo and suggestions from Arax about how Torigian should react to Thomas\u2019 comments.<\/p>\n
The messages offer an inside look into the mindsets of Arax and Torigian in the aftermath of a racially charged issue that consumed the district and its students four years ago. The text exchanges also show critical comments from the pair about other district employees.<\/p>\n
Thomas declined to comment to The Bee for this story, citing the ongoing litigation. Her attorney included the text messages and selected deposition testimony in a May 29 court filing. Thomas, who has served as a school board member for nearly eight years, is headed for a November runoff in the Fresno City Council District 3 race.<\/p>\n
Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan was scheduled to hear Thomas\u2019 motion for summary judgment Tuesday, but postponed it until July 21. If granted, Thomas could be dismissed from the case.<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019 attorneys argue she appeared on the video podcast in her capacity as a trustee, which they say gives her greater legal protection from defamation suits. Arax should also be treated as a public figure, her attorneys say. That would create a greater burden to prove \u201cactual malice,\u201d a standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in certain defamation cases. Her attorneys said Arax cannot meet that bar.<\/p>\n
Whelan argues in court filings that Arax is not a public figure.<\/p>\n
To prove defamation damages in a case involving public figures, making a false statement is not enough. The standard is actual malice<\/a>, defined by the U.S. Supreme Court as a defendant making a defamatory statement knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for whether it was false.<\/p>\n Mark Harris, Fresno Unified\u2019s general counsel, declined comment. The district recently changed lawyers in the case<\/a>.<\/p>\n In response to a public records request from Bee reporter Leqi Zhong covering May 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026, the district provided records showing it has spent $201,434 on its legal costs and $130,799 on Thomas\u2019 legal costs.<\/p>\n Profanity-laced text exchanges In court documents for Tuesday\u2019s hearing, Thomas\u2019 attorney included a portion of Torigian\u2019s deposition that featured the text messages.<\/p>\n Hours after Thomas\u2019 podcast appearance in 2022 Arax encouraged Torigian to make a public statement denouncing Thomas\u2019 accusation against Arax and shared a link to a GV Wire story about Thomas\u2019 claim.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to go after her ass!\u201d Torigian replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a f—ing b—–. I\u2019m going to sue,\u201d Arax responded.<\/p>\n How it started<\/p>\n On May 5, 2022 \u2014 about two weeks before Thomas\u2019 GV Wire appearance \u2014 Torigian shared with Arax the controversial photo of a student in the weight room wearing what appeared to be a white hood.<\/p>\n Arax responded, \u201cWhat an idiot.\u201d The next day, Arax texted: \u201cNo one outside the education world has any idea about the picture. This is the most overplayed thing I\u2019ve seen. What a f—ing joke.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas and then-Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson held a news conference, denouncing the photo.<\/p>\n \u201cIn two days, it\u2019s over. The Edison people can f— off,\u201d Arax texted. Thomas represents the Edison High School area on the Fresno Unified Board of Trustees. Her sons attended Bullard.<\/p>\n Arax also called Thomas and Nelson, who was superintendent at the time, \u201cidiots\u201d who jumped to conclusions.<\/p>\n The texts also show Arax and Torigian discussing how to handle negative reaction to the photo.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s what frustrates me about you. You refuse to take counsel from people who can help you \u2014 an inner circle of people. It\u2019s going to be your downfall,\u201d Arax wrote to Torigian on May 12, about the photo incident.<\/p>\n Torigian defended himself.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m dealing with a very week (sic) team. I can only rely on a few vp\u2019s to do the work. The other two are worthless. Along with a campus culture who doesn\u2019t do s— so we have to pick up the pieces. I haven\u2019t really slept since all this s— happened and I\u2019m being attacked at every angle,\u201d Torigian responded to Arax\u2019s text.<\/p>\n The messages also show Arax demanding Torigian hire certain football coaches, so Bullard could remain competitive.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m being called out as a racist by a lady you allowed to keep speaking. If you don\u2019t want to take care of my program then never ask me for anything. If you f— this up with coach Im [sic] going to be so far up your ass your [sic] not going to be able to breathe. Man up,\u201d Arax texted to Torigian.<\/p>\n In another exchange, Arax called David Chavez, the district\u2019s chief of human resources, \u201ca d—.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLol …. right?\u201d Torigian responds.<\/p>\n Torigian did not respond to an email requesting comment for this story.<\/p>\n Arax was released as Bullard\u2019s head football<\/a> in September 2023 after five games. The district stressed in its new release that Arax was not \u201cfired.\u201d He was hired in April 2024 the next season as head football coach<\/a> at Central Valley Christian in Visalia.<\/p>\n Arax\u2019s attorney defends texts<\/p>\n Whelan, Arax\u2019s attorney, defended his client\u2019s messages as honest reactions to the \u201clie\u201d of being called a racist.<\/p>\n \u201cA coach who devoted himself to helping all student-athletes achieve is entitled to be outraged when falsely branded a racist. Injustice angers just men. Damage to a reputation is often irreparable. Only a misguided person would try to weaponize a victim\u2019s honest reaction to a lie. Even his principal (and boss) told him to sue Thomas,\u201d Whelan told The Bee via text.<\/p>\n The \u2018Unfiltered\u2019 interview<\/p>\n The following is a transcript from Thomas\u2019 May 17, 2022, interview on GV Wire\u2019s \u201cUnfiltered,\u201d included in the court record:<\/p>\n Keshia Thomas: \u201cThen my son, my middle son, goes to football practice, where he has Arax calling him a n—–, and he decides he\u2019s not playing for Bullard anymore. OK. And he ends up playing at Edison.\u201d<\/p>\n Host Darius Assemi: \u201cCould you tell our audience … you said Arax. Who is Arax?\u201d<\/p>\n Keshia Thomas: \u201cYeah. He\u2019s the football coach at Bullard. You know … so my son, when he was starting high school \u2014 my 23-year-old \u2014 when he was starting high school, he said, \u2018Mom, I am not going to play football for them because the coach is saying this to me,\u2019 and this is before I became a trustee.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 4:58 PM.<\/p>\n David Taub The Fresno Bee <\/p>\n
Former Bullard High football coach Don Arax, left, and FUSD trustee Keshia Thomas, right, are shown. Fresno Bee file photos
![\"Bullard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_Edisonpresser01.jpeg\" "\\"FRS_Edisonpresser01\\"")
Bullard High Black Student Union representative Elana Henderson addresses the media about additional racist images that have appeared over the weekend, during a news conference held by FUSD Trustee Keshia Thomas, right, outside Edison High School on Monday, May 9, 2022. Students walked out of classes on Friday when racist images emerged on social media. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com ![\"Fresno](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_Edisonpresser02.jpeg\" "\\"FRS_Edisonpresser02\\"")
Fresno Unified School District Trustee Keshia Thomas, at lectern, stands with students from Edison and Bullard high schools, as well as community leaders, while addressing racist images that have appeared online recently. CRAIG KOHLRUSS Fresno Bee file <\/p>\n