Now that Fresno Unified has an official, six-figure settlement agreement for its former communications chief, the district says the contract will not go before board members for approval.

“The hardworking taxpayers of this community expect me to be a steward of their tax money and for our children to make sure that the resources they pay into the district go into educational outcomes for our students. … This absolutely should come to a vote.” — Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup  

“Contrary to what’s being shared online by (Fresno Teachers Assocation) and others, there will be no vote on this issue during the August 13th meeting,” a Friday “talking points” email notice to board members from chief of staff Ambra O’Connor stated. “The board already gave (human resources chief David Chavez) unanimous authority to enter into a resignation agreement during the closed portion of the June 18, 2025 board meeting.”

Bullard-area trustee Susan Wittrup, however, says board members only gave unofficial permission for Chavez to start negotiating the settlement with Nikki Henry. She says a vote was never taken. After the June 18 meeting, no action was reported from out of closed session, either.

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Wittrup said this matter needs to go before the board for a vote or it runs against California’s Brown Act, the 1953 law about how legislative information is disseminated to the public.

“This district is run with public money. You cannot keep this information from the public,” Wittrup said. “Those are all Brown Act violations.”

Calls to other board members were not returned.

Wittrup previously told GV Wire that she would be a “no” vote if the settlement went to the board. 

Attorney Roger Bonakdar of Fresno, who is not involved in the case, says the settlement raises more questions than it answers.

“If she was going to be terminated for incompetence, and the AI quotes were the proof, why would the district be worried about ‘legal fees,’ ” Bonakdar told GV Wire.

Wittrup Thinks District Action Is Coverup

Additionally, the district has not provided Wittrup with details she requested about the $162,000 deal. Wittrup told GV Wire she is regularly updated about other settlements regarding high-profile staff.

The amount being paid to Henry is well beyond what district policy allows without a board vote. Wittrup said the secretive nature of the deal makes her think there is information the district wants to keep out of public view.

“The hardworking taxpayers of this community expect me to be a steward of their tax money and for our children to make sure that the resources they pay into the district go into educational outcomes for our students,” Wittrup said. “I do not believe this shouldn’t come to a vote. This absolutely should come to a vote.”

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District Reported Out Settlement with Former Deputy Superintendent

Henry resigned June 30 after she admitted to creating a dossier of fabricating quotes. Superintendent Misty Her said in a interview with TV news that she directed Henry to create a document of  criticism made against her by the Fresno Teachers Association.

The district agreed to the settlement to prevent possible litigation, a spokesperson previously told GV Wire.

In the settlement, Henry agrees to release the district from any claims. It also requires her to not disclose any information about the agreement.

The district in 2020 similarly paid out a settlement to then-outgoing deputy superintendent Ruthie Quinto. After Quinto quit to spend more time with her family, the district agreed to pay her her full salary and benefits.

The board after the meeting reported out the vote. Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas opposed the settlement at the time while trustees Veva Islas, Claudia Cazares, and Valerie Davis voted for it.

District Talking Points Raise More Questions: Bonakdar

In a communication to district staff Monday, Chavez told employees that termination processes can be costly, similar to court cases. Those can include hearings and written documentation.

“To avoid the significant costs of those procedures and the uncertain outcomes of those hearings, sometimes public employers with the board’s authority enter into resignation agreements with employees,” Chavez’s email stated.

Again, Bonakdar says it’s not clear that the settlement benefits the district and taxpayers, especially since Henry was an at-will employee.

“What was it about this employee’s situation such that the district determined that cutting a check for $162K had the ‘least financial impact?’ ” Bonakdar said. “What did the district view as its true exposure and defense costs if $160K was such a ‘good deal,’ as the talking points suggest?”

Wittrup’s Questions for District Still Unanswered

Wittrup said she posed several questions about the settlement to the district. She didn’t know the district reached a settlement before it came out in news media.

She said she doesn’t know if the claim is related to workplace violations or if they’re related to something more nefarious.

“It raises all kinds of speculation as to whether there are cover-ups going on, whether this is on the up-and-up and whether it’s legal or not,” Wittrup said.

Islas previously told GV Wire she hasn’t had any problem getting information she requested, though she didn’t request additional information about the Henry settlement.

Former Bullard Trustees Talk About Being Frozen Out of Conversations

This isn’t the first time trustees have been kept out of conversations.

Former Bullard-area trustees Michelle Asadoorian and Terry Slatic said they were kept out of conversations.

Asadoorian said the board culture changed after it went to district voting. She said trustees became more concerned with their individual school areas than with the district as a whole.

She said one former Fresno High trustee, the late Carol Mills, got left out of conversations after she raised concerns about former Superintendent Mike Hansen.

Asadoorian found the door closed as well.

“What happens in Fresno is they pit one board member against the other,” Asadoorian said. “They make secret deals with one board member or the other. It’s all about playing politics.”

Slatic told GV Wire he would have to demand answers, going into then-Superintendent Bob Nelson’s office until he got the information he wanted. He said Wittrup should do the same.

“You walk into Misty Her’s office and you get an answer,” Slatic said. “And you sit there. What are they going to do? Call security on you?” Slatic was censured in his four years as trustee for things he said or for his behavior.

“The point is what? I already knew they didn’t like me,” Slatic said.

Wittrup Speaks on $162,000 Payout