A former Fresno Unified campus safety officer said she was falsely imprisoned and battered by a district executive. However, Fresno police say no crime was committed.

Stephanie Vasquez’s attorney, Howard Sagaser, said something did happen on Aug. 21, 2024, at Figarden Elementary School. Police were called and an officer filed an incident report, but closed the case there.

Vasquez spent three days in the hospital because of what happened that day, Sagaser said. She hasn’t returned to work.

“One has to wonder why the police didn’t wait until Ms. Vazquez was in a more stable condition,” Sagaser told GV Wire. “There’s still a lot of unanswered questions that hopefully will be answered in the civil lawsuit.”

Vasquez’s attorneys filed a claim against the district. Because the Board of Trustees rejected the claim on May 14, Vasquez can now sue in court.

Sagaser said he plans to file a lawsuit within 45 days.

The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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What Vasquez Claims

In an April 18 letter to the district as part of the claim, Sagaser recapped the incident.

Vasquez, a 36-year school district veteran, had battles with the district over previously-filed complaints, including an unresolved sexual harassment allegation. On Aug. 21, 2024, Vasquez missed a safety training exercise that morning because of illness. She arrived at Figarden Elementary School later for a campus inspection.

Amy Idsvoog

Amy Idsvoog, at the time the district’s executive officer of first response, safety and health, confronted Vasquez at the school — more specifically inside Vasquez’s parked car.

“Hovering over my passenger window, Amy acted like a schoolyard bully,” Vasquez described in her letter.

Idsvoog continued the conversation outside the car, wanting to come in against Vasquez’s wishes, she wrote. Vasquez said she felt “threatened.”

“Stuck between protecting myself against another Amy rampage and respecting my supervisor, I did the only thing I could think of doing. I acted like I couldn’t unlock the car. Undaunted, Amy shoved her whole right arm through the half-rolled-down window of the passenger door and clawed at the door until she found the unlock button,” the letter said.

Now, Vasquez felt “trapped,” according to the letter. The conversation continued about various complaints Vasquez previously made. She grew increasingly uncomfortable, the letter said.

“Entering a state of distress, I began experiencing both a sharp pain and a tightness in my chest. As a result, I began to panic and struggle for air. I just wanted Amy to leave me alone, but she was determined to talk,” the letter said.

The car, Vasquez described, climbed to more than 100 degrees because of the summer weather.

“Practically hyperventilating, I just wanted to breathe and get Amy out of my car. Instead, Amy leaned even closer to me and firmly grasped my right wrist,” Vasquez wrote.

Approximately 40 minutes later, Idsvoog ended the conversation and left. Vasquez contacted her supervisor, Charlene Cardoza, who called 911 when observing Vasquez hyperventilating and suffering other health issues.

An ambulance transferred Vasquez to the hospital.

Both the police department and Vasquez’s attorney confirm that she was interviewed in the ambulance.

What Police Said Happened

An incident report provided to GV Wire showed that officers responded to a disturbance at the school.

“(A) coworker called RP (reporting party) crying, saying her boss was not letting her get into her own vehicle,” the report stated.

Officers found Vasquez, describing her as having a panic attack.

“Verbal disturbance between coworkers. Subject had anxiety over the disturbance and had a hard time breathing,” the report said.

Fresno Police Lt. Larry Bowlan said the incident “was a verbal disturbance between two employees.”

“Nothing physical, no crimes committed, and no report written,” Bowlan said. “One employee had anxiety from the argument and an ambulance was called to check on them.”

Bowlan elaborated, saying the incident did not rise “to the level of a criminal investigation based on what the officers who responded to the call in August 2024 were told by Stephanie Vasquez.”

A GV Wire request for body camera footage — which could provide more context to the incident — is pending.

Sagaser sent correspondence to police in April, but he has not filed a formal follow-up with the department.

Bowlan said it is possible the case reopens, “but it would be based on what she reports to our department.”

What Vasquez Told Police

In her claim, Vasquez said police spoke to her briefly.

“An officer approached me (in the ambulance) and asked if someone had physically contacted me. When I explained to the officer that Amy had grabbed my arm, that officer told me that her behavior was ‘not okay’ and left to contact someone at Fresno Unified.”

Bowlan could not confirm the nature of the conversation. He also could not confirm whether or not the officers spoke to other witnesses.

Sagaser said it does not appear police interviewed anyone else.

He also disputes how the police department is characterizing the case.

“The incident we maintain was a lot more serious than a simple temporary verbal dispute,” Sagaser said.