Ed Madec is still fighting for his job.

The one-time highly successful Fresno City College basketball coach is appealing to keep his teaching job for a second time.

He is in the middle of a second week of hearings overseen by Office of Administrative Hearings Judge Coren Wong. The proceedings are at the Fresno offices of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore — attorneys representing State Center Community College District.

Madec testified Tuesday on the seventh day of the hearing. However, Wong cleared the room of spectators and media before Madec’s testimony to protect the privacy of witness names that he might reveal.

The district fired him in 2020 for allegedly providing impermissible benefits to players. He appealed and eventually won his teaching job back. He did not return as coach, as it is an at-will position.

In his second week teaching a health class on Aug. 15, 2023, police arrested Madec for allegedly making threats against SCCCD leaders. The district began dismissal proceedings the second time, placing him on leave that month before firing him in July 2024.

Last month, in a related criminal case, a Fresno County Superior Court judge threw out those charges.

“We cannot directly comment on pending litigation or personnel matters in accordance with applicable law and SCCCD’s governance rules and policies,” SCCCD spokesperson Jill Wagner said.

The publicly elected board that oversees SCCCD policy and budget did not want to talk either. Trustees Austin Ewell, Deborah Ikeda and Nasreen Johnson declined comment. Four other trustees did not respond to GV Wire inquires.

The attempt to fire Madec is costing taxpayers an amount of money yet to be publicly revealed. SCCCD did not have an exact amount how much it paid the first time, or for the current case, when asked by GV Wire. A Public Records Act request is pending.

Related Story: Judge Clears Former Fresno City College Coach Ed Madec in Threats Case

Psychologist, Counselor Testify

Earlier Tuesday, clinical psychologist Allan Hedberg testified. He treated Madec for nine sessions starting in September 2023 shortly after the district placed Madec on leave a second time.

Hedberg testified that the dismissal left Madec with emotional loss. Madec told his therapist, “My heart is crushed.”

It would take another year of therapy before Madec is ready to return to the classroom Hedberg said, but Madec doesn’t pose any threat. Any comments made in the classroom on Aug. 15, 2023, were out of frustration and a one-time incident, Hedberg said.

Madec said something along the lines of “If it were not for my wife and son, I would come to campus and shoot someone,” according to testimony.

Hedberg said that could have been a lesson on how to deal with frustration, and not necessarily a threat.

“That is not Mr. Madec. That is not the man,” Hedberg said of the comments that got Madec in trouble.

Geraldine Santos, a retired Fresno City College academic counselor, and licensed therapist, also testified. Although she did not formally treat Madec, she said she “examined” him during conversations the two had. Attorneys for SCCCD challenged her testimony as an expert, because she did not formally treat Madec.

Santos concluded that Madec was depressed.

“He didn’t look well. He looked defeated,” Santos testified.

SCCCD attorneys also questioned Santos about her frequent posts on X, criticizing SCCCD and its chancellor, Carole Goldsmith.

“They are my truth,” Santos said.

SCCCD Chancellor Carole Goldsmith and 10 students in the class who witnessed the alleged statements, previously testified at the hearings, Madec’s attorney, Dan Siegel, told GV Wire.

Criminal Case Dismissed

On Jan. 27, Judge Brian Alvarez dismissed the charges against Madec — accused of making criminal threats against Goldsmith.

ABC 30 reported that Alvarez said the charges did not “pass the smell test,” in dismissing the case at a preliminary hearing before it could reach a trial.

“Our offices standard for filing, is that the evidence will support a conviction of the charge(s) beyond a reasonable doubt. During the preliminary hearing, multiple students testified to the threats that Mr. Madec made.  Although we disagree with the Judge’s ruling, we still stand by our filing decision based upon the information that was developed during the investigation,” said Taylor Long, a spokesperson for District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.

Witness Tampering?

Several unusual things happened during the criminal case, SCCCD Insiders, an anonymous website that calls itself a whistleblower, reported.

A transcript provided in the Insiders story showed that an attorney for SCCCD for its civil harassment case against Madec reached out to witnesses in the criminal trial, providing them a document to sign.

Madec’s criminal defense attorney, Robert O. Carroll, questioned the method during testimony at the criminal preliminary hearing, at one point saying it could be witness tampering.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a civil attorney to be directing a witness, giving a witness in a criminal matter materials before they testify in a criminal matter,” Carroll said according to the court transcript.

Carroll later told GV Wire that the attorney, Yesenia Carrillo with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, sent the witness a document known as a statement of declaration, which asks a witness several factual questions. He called it “very unusual.”

The law firm justified its actions.

“LCW and Ms. Carrillo represent the District in the administrative hearing only. All communications from LCW representatives were appropriate and in connection with the administrative hearing, not the criminal case,” LCW managing partner Shelline Bennett told GV Wire by email.

The State Bar reports no active complaints against Carrillo.

Restraining Order Sought

SCCCD also sought a restraining order against Madec. Carroll said the judge in the criminal case indicated it would likely be dismissed. As of Feb. 10, an April 14 hearing date remains on the court docket.

The Insider story also reported that Douglas Haas, a senior deputy district attorney, signed the criminal complaint, a fact verified by GV Wire. Haas worked as a part-time instructor with SCCCD until 2022, the college said.

“There is not a conflict of interest as there is no personal relationship between him and either of the parties involved,” said Long.

Carroll called the issue “moot.”