Fresno Unified School Board trustees on Wednesday will consider renewing the censure of controversial trustee Terry Slatic and asking the Fresno County Grand Jury “and other appropriate regulatory agencies” to launch an investigation of his conduct.

A draft resolution to renew the censure, which the board imposed a year ago on a 6-0 vote, is on the board agenda.

Slatic, who represents the Bullard High School area, maintains that the censure is illegal because it disenfranchises his northwest Fresno constituents. He filed a claim earlier this year with the district seeking to have it overturned, which the board rejected.

The censure came after a series of incidents involving Slatic and Bullard students and staff, and an Army recruiter. It alleged that he engaged in abusive and unprofessional behavior against them, as well as trustees and members of the public.

The censure limited Slatic’s access to school facilities and ordered him to undergo anger management counseling.

Recall Effort Halted

After the board censured Slatic, community activists initiated a recall petition but stopped gathering signatures when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March.

Slatic, who hinted previously that he would pursue further legal action when his request to have the censure overturned was denied by the Fresno Unified board, on Tuesday called the new censure resolution “the politically motivated hack job that it always has been.” He declined further comment.

The draft censure resolution includes complaints previously lodged against Slatic: a physical altercation with a Bullard student on campus in January 2019, verbal confrontations with an Army recruiter at Bullard and with a Bullard wrestling coach in February 2019, and his meeting in July 2019 with Bullard cheerleaders in the wake of the “blackface” social media incident involving younger squad members.

After the July meeting, one cheerleader unsuccessfully sought a restraining order against Slatic, saying she had felt threatened by him at the meeting.

Pastors Say Slatic Was Racist, Profane

The draft resolution adds a March 2020 incident in which Slatic is accused by two Fresno ministers of engaging in abusive, profane, and racist language when they met in a Fresno bagel shop.

Slatic told GV Wire℠ in June that he didn’t use racist or abusive language during the meeting.

Slatic, the draft resolution says, has continued to deny his personal responsibility, wasted district resources by filing a series of complaints against staff and fellow board members, provided misleading and confidential information during public board meetings, and has cost the district more than $250,000 in legal and investigative fees.

The public board meeting, which will be held virtually in a teleconference, can be viewed on the district’s website and on Comcast Xfinity Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.

The draft resolution is tentatively scheduled for discussion at 8:30 p.m.

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