Fresno Unified School District Trustee Susan Wittrup is calling for a public board vote to ratify a $162,000 settlement with ex-communications chief Nikki Henry.

Wittrup said she was not informed of the agreement before it was reported in the media, despite previously requesting updates.

She said the board should have followed its practice of voting on large expenditures, and questioned whether the lack of transparency could warrant a state investigation.

When called for comment, FUSD Board President Valarie Davis did not respond.

Earlier, the district provided a staff-wide communication to GV Wire in response to a previous inquiry. The district said that termination processes can be as costly as court cases.

The email stated, “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.”

The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13.

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(GV Wire’s Edward Smith and Anya Ellis contributed to this article).

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