![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787945770_304_Arax-Thomas01.jpg\" "\\"Former")
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Former Bullard High football coach Don Arax, left, and FUSD trustee Keshia Thomas, right.<\/p>\n
Fresno Bee File<\/p>\n
Attorneys for Fresno Unified, Trustee Keshia Thomas and former Bullard High School football coach Don Arax will meet in Los Angeles for mediation on Monday. Could the result produce a settlement in the four-year old defamation case?<\/p>\n
Arax sued the district and Thomas, after the trustee went on a local podcast in 2022, alleging the coach used a racial slur years ago, directed at her son. Arax denied the incident, which allegedly happened at a football camp in 2013 when Thomas\u2019 son was in middle school.<\/p>\n
Retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno<\/a>, now a mediator, will hold the meeting at his southern California office. Representatives for neither the district nor Arax would reveal to The Bee whether a settlement offer has been made.<\/p>\n In recent court revelations, Albert Alford Jr., now an adult, said he never told anyone \u2014 including his mother \u2014 that Arax used a racial slur. In a follow-up statement to the media, Alford said that he was not completely truthful<\/a> with Thomas when recounting the incident.<\/p>\n Thomas since issued a public apology. That came on the heels of the teachers\u2019 union, the Fresno Teachers Association, calling for Thomas to resign. She is also running for Fresno City Council District 3 in November. She has refused to step down now, or drop out of the city council race.<\/p>\n At the school board meeting on Aug. 26, several community members sat in the audience at the start of the meeting in support of Thomas.<\/p>\n Arax now coaches at Central Valley Christian, in Visalia.<\/p>\n The school district is covering Thomas\u2019 legal fees, but recent public comments indicated they may pull the plug. It could be moot if Monday\u2019s mediation talks produce a settlement. The board did not discuss the item either in open or closed session at its last meeting on Aug. 26.<\/p>\n Through June 9, the district has paid $235,330 in defense fees for itself. It has also paid Thomas\u2019 defense costs of $134,421.<\/p>\n School board president Veva Islas offered limited comment when asked about the status of the case.<\/p>\n \u201cI am waiting to be debriefed, and I would rather not make any public comment until all the facts of the matter are shared with us as a board. I don\u2019t have the latest update,\u201d Islas told The Bee.<\/p>\n Trustee Valerie Davis said: \u201cStudent achievement is all what I\u2019m all about, and we\u2019ll have to do what we\u2019ll have to do for our per the state\u2019s recommendations,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n Other trustees \u2014 Susan Wittrup, Claudia Cazares and Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas \u2014 said they could not comment on the status of the lawsuit because it is a legal matter.<\/p>\n Thomas declined comment about the lawsuit on Wednesday at the Fresno Unified board meeting. The Bee could not reach Trustee Andrew Levine to ask him about the lawsuit.<\/p>\n Bee reporter Leqi Zhong contributed to this story.<\/p>\n This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 10:25 AM.<\/p>\n![\"Fresno](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FRS_EPZ_FUSD_THOMAS_02.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_FUSD_THOMAS_02.JPG\\"")
Fresno Unified trustee Keisha Thomas, seen at the start of an FUSD school board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com Where do trustees stand?<\/p>\n![\"Central](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FRS_EPZ_D2_SEMIFINAL_12.jpeg\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_D2_SEMIFINAL_12\\"")
Central Valley Christian head coach Don Arax is seen on the sidelines in the D2 semifinal championship game against Golden West Friday night, Nov. 22, 2024 in Visalia. CVC beat Golden West 28-7 and will face Bakersfield in next week\u2019s final. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA <\/p>\n