Fresno Unified interpreters have raised concerns about ongoing threats of violence, including death threats from students, and urged district administration to take meaningful action to  protect staff.

Last week, the Fresno Teachers Association held a news conference at which four interpreters shared their experiences of verbal threats and student violence.

“In a recent episode, the student threatened to kill us with a gun and kill other people with a gun,” interpreter Chantel Cox said. “He hurled a desk across the room, smashed the wall with his fists, and smeared blood all over.”

According to Cox, the student faced no consequences and was allowed to go to lunch, watch a movie, and play sports.

Another interpreter, Shell Smith, said one student threatened to commit a school shooting. Furthermore, the student has social media posts showing access to weapons, she said.

Some interpreters say that they’ve been impacted to the point of using sick and unpaid leave to stay safe.

The district is investigating the allegations and working with the California School Employees Association, which is the union for the interpreters.

“There is a process that must be followed when events escalate into reports or concerns over safety within the district, and we are committed to following these procedures as outlined,” Fresno Unified said in a statement.

Fresno Unified Posts Letter from Staffers Who Say They’re Safe

The interpreters purposely did not disclose the school site while trying to raise awareness about some of the challenges they face.

The group felt “forced to speak out after enduring ongoing threats of violence and being admonished for trying to protect themselves,” FTA said in a social media post.

However, the site was revealed to be Phoenix Secondary Academy, a Community Day continuation school that serves at-risk or expelled students, after Fresno Unified posted an open letter from site staff. The campus is at 5320 E. Church Ave. in southeast Fresno.

The letter, including individual signatures from staff, deemed the school a “safe place” and shared positive experience of working there.

“It is important to note that there were no Phoenix Secondary teachers standing up during the press conference. In fact, we asked FTA not to proceed with the briefing,” the letter states. “The snapshot these individuals, with limited time on our campus, shared is not an accurate depiction of who we are.”

The interpreters were on temporary assignment at the school site.

FTA Fires Back Against Fresno Unified Letter 

FTA admonished the open letter, saying the district’s social media post contributed to a culture of fear and retribution.

“The message received by many employees is clear: speaking up may result in public isolation, scrutiny, or institutional defensiveness,” FTA stated in a Facebook post. “Wanting to feel safe in one’s environment is not an attack on a school, its staff, or the community it serves.”

Additionally, the FTA asserts that both realities, one feeling unsafe and another having a positive experience, can coexist.

The district and site staff expressed that they did not wish to “diminish” or “invalidate” others’ experience. However, Phoenix Secondary staff felt “context and information is critical in this situation.”

This comes on the heels of interpreters saying district administration refused to meet with them and FTA President Manuel Bonilla asserting that the staffers were retaliated against.

“The district has failed to provide any meaningful response besides penalizing the very employees being threatened,” he said. “It feels as if Fresno Unified is not doing their part in the collective lift and is essentially saying just deal with it.”