![\"Fresno](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Thomas_Arax.jpg\" "\\"Fresno")
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Fresno Unified School Board member Keshia Thomas, left, with former Bullard High football coach Don Arax, right, in a composite photo.<\/p>\n
ERIC PAUL ZAMORA<\/p>\n
ezamora@fresnobee.com<\/p>\n
Mediation to settle a defamation lawsuit against the Fresno Unified School District and Trustee Keshia Thomas was unsuccessful, the plaintiff\u2019s attorney said.<\/p>\n
Brian Whelan, attorney for former Bullard High School football coach Don Arax, said there was no settlement after talks on Monday.<\/p>\n
Arax, now coaching at a high school in Visalia, sued Thomas and FUSD for defamation after Thomas accused him on a podcast in. 2022 of using a racial slur against her son.<\/p>\n
The parties met individually with retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno, now a Los Angeles-based mediator with JAMS<\/a>, on Monday via Zoom.<\/p>\n FUSD spokesperson Adela Duncan attempted to distance the district from Thomas\u2019 legal problems.<\/p>\n \u201cFUSD participated in mediation in good faith because that is the right way to try to resolve disputed litigation, not because the District believes it bears responsibility for a private, personal statement it did not make,” Duncan said.<\/p>\n The case is heading toward a Dec. 7 trial before Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan.<\/p>\n Thomas is running for Fresno City Council, facing Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, on Nov. 3.<\/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. The Bee has asked for updated figures and is waiting for the new amounts..<\/p>\n Thomas\u2019 racial slur accusation and apology<\/p>\n In 2022, Thomas went on a podcast and accused Arax of using a racial slur against her son at a football camp years ago. Arax denied the accusation and filed a defamation suit against Thomas and the district later that year.<\/p>\n In a July court document, Thomas\u2019 son \u2014 Albert Alford Jr., now an adult \u2014 said Arax never used racial slurs. In a subsequent statement to the media, Alford said he was not truthful with his mother recounting the incident.<\/p>\n Thomas issued a public apology. She has not taken questions from The Bee about the incident. Joshua Milton, attorney for Thomas, had no comment.<\/p>\n Fresno Unified said they \u201cunderstand the seriousness of a lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n “At the same time, the District did not make the statement at issue in this case, did not authorize it, and did not endorse it,\u201d district Duncan said.<\/p>\n The district\u2019s full statement can be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n In previous public statements, the district indicated it may no longer cover Thomas\u2019 legal fees. That could come in a future discussion and vote from the trustees. The district has not released the agenda for the next board meeting on Sept. 9.<\/p>\n On the way to trial, Culver Kapetan will hear a motion from Arax to dispose of two of Fresno Unified\u2019s defenses \u2014 truth and conditional privilege, scheduled for Oct. 7.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 2, 2026 at 3:59 PM.<\/p>\n