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The results of two internal investigations into the controversial behavior of Fresno Unified trustee Terry Slatic soon will be made public, the school board’s president says.
Slatic, meanwhile, was defiant following a special board meeting Thursday called to consider disciplinary action against him.
Related Story: District Probe Faults Slatic in Clash With Army Recruiter
Asked about calls for him to resign made by fellow trustees and others in attendance, Slatic said:The meeting was called to specifically discuss Slatic’s behavior at a recent meeting between the trustee and the Bullard High School cheer team.
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“The meeting went exactly as I expected in every way, shape or form,” Slatic said after his colleagues voted 5-0 to limit his access to school campuses and to disapprove of his actions.Many people who spoke Thursday said it wasn’t Slatic’s role to address the cheer team; he explained why he did.
“In consultations with the superintendent that day and the day before, we were both in agreement that somebody — the JV cheer squad conveyed to me (through emails) their practice went poorly and there was a lot of ‘neener, neener,’ to be brief, on these girls.
“(Superintendent) Bob (Nelson) and I decided somebody’s got to talk to these girls because they are not getting the message. … We are seven weeks into it at this point. This is an issue that if we had actual staff function around here, would have been gone in a week.”
Slatic said he and Nelson had met many times with the girls involved in the blackface incident, as well as the team. The two agreed that Slatic would handle the talk because he is the father of a former cheerleader and Nelson had another meeting July 10, Slatic said.
As to public perception of the cheerleader meeting, Slatic said they don’t have a complete picture of what happened: “I’m appalled that people have spent so little time understanding the facts of this case. Everyone wants to jump up and down and set their hair on fire.”
Slatic defended the way he spoke.
“Do they like the tone that I used? I would speak that way to my priest, or my grandmother. I spoke to the girls like they are elite athletes. As a cheer dad, I know they are elite athletes,” Slatic said.
Slatic noted that he did not use expletives and repeated policies found in the district’s cheer manual, particularly on limits to freedom of speech.
“Playing sports is a privilege, not a right,” he said.
Slatic’s only comments from the dais were about issues he wants to shine a light on. Afterward, he cited a fight covered up last month at Edison High with “racial overtones,” a 1.0 GPA requirement to graduate, and a “corrupt” lottery determining student selections for magnet schools.
“All the trustees said everything has to come out. And I’m going to hold them to that.”
Related Story: Slatic Clashed With Army Recruiter at Bullard High School
Cazares played audio recorded of Slatic’s meeting with the cheerleaders. Slatic said the recording was made without his knowledge, but later said he didn’t object to it being played publicly.
Here’s what the audience heard:
David Taub has spent most of his career in journalism behind the scenes working as a TV assignment editor and radio producer. For more than a decade, he has worked in the Fresno market with such stops at KSEE-24, KMJ and Power Talk 96.7. Taub also worked the production and support side of some of TV sports biggest events including the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and NASCAR to name a few. Taub graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email
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