Following news that Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas had agreed to drop her defense in a defamation lawsuit brought against her by former Bullard High football coach Don Arax, Thomas’ son Albert Alford Jr. is now coming forward with his version of what happened.

On Thursday evening, Alford sent a statement to GV Wire saying that he wasn’t telling the truth when he told his mom that Arax had called him the N-word when he was 14 years old.

In 2022, Thomas went on the “Unfiltered” show and accused Arax of using the racial slur on her son. Shortly after those accusations were made, Arax was fired from his coaching position. He later left Bullard to work at Central Valley Christian and then filed the defamation suit against Thomas.

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Albert Alford Jr.’s Statement

Here is Alford’s statement:

My name is Albert Alford Jr. I am the middle son of Keshia Thomas. I want to set the record straight about allegations contained in the lawsuit between Don Arax and my mother.

In 2013, after eighth grade at Tenaya Middle School, I went to a summer football camp hosted by Bullard High School and Coach Don Arax. At that time, I intended to play football on the Bullard High School football team beginning my freshman year of high school. While at the camp, another player told me that Coach Arax used the N-word and so I decided I didn’t want to play football at Bullard.

When I got home from the camp, I told my mom that I heard Coach Arax use the N-word, not about me, just that I’d heard him say it, even though that wasn’t true.

After that, I ended up going to a different high school. In 2022, after the picture of the kid wearing what looked like a Klan hood in the Bullard High School weight room came out, my mom and I again spoke about the 2013 incident at the football camp, but I didn’t come clean about the truth at that time.

A few days ago, I told my mom the truth about what happened in 2013 and apologized for the consequences of my past story. It was never my intention to cause anyone any problems. I was 14 years old when I told my mom the story in 2013, and was really bothered by what I heard about Coach Arax. I recognize I should have come clean sooner, and I sincerely apologize for not doing so.

Fresno Unified Board President Veva Islas told GV Wire shortly before Alford sent his statement that the district would not pay for any possible damages levied against Thomas in Arax suit’s. She also said that the board would consider no longer covering her legal expenses.

Mediation is scheduled for Aug. 31, she told GV Wire. After mediation concludes, the board will determine its next steps, Islas said.