Fresno Unified School Board Trustee Keshia Thomas is facing increasing pressure to resign after admitting that a 2022 accusation she made against a high school football coach was false. Thomas had claimed that Bullard High School Football Coach Don Arax used a racial slur against her son in 2013.

Arax filed a defamation lawsuit against Thomas in the same year she made the accusation. The Fresno Teacher Association has joined calls for her resignation, with its president, Manuel Bonilla, stating, “That public trust is gone, and she should resign and do the responsible thing.”

Thomas's son provided a sworn statement in July asserting that the coach never used a slur against him and that he had not told anyone otherwise. However, weeks later, he reversed his statement, claiming he had told his mother about the alleged slur and had lied in his sworn declaration.

The Fresno Unified School District is reportedly reconsidering its decision to cover Thomas's legal fees in the defamation lawsuit, which have exceeded $350,000. A district statement indicated that the decision to initially cover legal costs was made when the veracity of Thomas's account was not in question. The district noted that Thomas's deposition and her son's acknowledgment of inaccuracies have brought new information to light.

Thomas has issued an apology to Arax and his family, explaining that as a mother, she took her son's account of a racial incident seriously. She also stated that as a school board member, she felt a responsibility to address concerns about student safety and comfort. Thomas added that she has since learned the information she relied upon regarding Arax was inaccurate.

Despite these admissions, Thomas maintains she will not resign, calling the Fresno Teacher Association's demands for her resignation “irresponsible and distracting.” She argued that the union's actions circumvent the democratic voice of her constituents and undermine principles of due process.

Thomas stated, “I was elected by the people of my community, and attempts to circumvent their voice through political pressure are fundamentally undemocratic. I will not resign for acknowledging the truth and doing what I believe is right.”

The defamation case may proceed to trial in December or be settled through mediation. Arax initially sought more than $10,000 in damages.

Fresno Unified is the third-largest school district in California.