Bullard football Coach Donny Arax's defamation suit against Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas and the school district may continue, although a portion of the suit has been dismissed, Fresno Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan ruled last week. Thomas and the district had attempted to have the entire lawsuit thrown...
Tentative Ruling Denies Fresno Trustee’s Bid to Dismiss Coach’s Defamation Suit
Update Thursday: Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan heard arguments from attorneys about whether Bullard Coach Don Arax's defamation lawsuit should be dismissed under anti-SLAPP laws and she would consider them before issuing her final ruling. In her tentative ruling this week, Kapetan found that there was sufficient evidence of alleged defamation...
One Night, Two Meetings. FUSD Trustee Does Double Duty as Consultant
Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas displayed her multitasking skills last Wednesday when she appeared at both the School Board meeting and an overlapping meeting of the economic development organization Transform Fresno. Both were held virtually. Thomas, who is clerk of the School Board, was introduced at the Transform Fresno meeting...
Pismo’s Owner to City, State Officials: We’ll See You in Court
Maybe Mayor Lee Brand needs to find another seafood restaurant to dine at. Dave Fansler, the proprietor of Pismo's Coastal Grill and other restaurants, has filed a claim against the city claiming an unfair use of code enforcement. A lawsuit will follow, his lawyer said. Another suit is planned against...
Fresno Unified Trustees Reject Slatic’s Nominee for Bond Committee
Four members of the Fresno Unified School Board took the rare step last week of rejecting a School Bond Oversight Committee member nomination made by one of their fellow trustees and recommended for approval by Superintendent Bob Nelson. What's not clear is whether the "no" votes signified the quartet's continuing...
Claudia Cazares Named President of Fresno Unified School Board
The Fresno Unified School Board unanimously voted in Area 6 incumbent Claudia Cazares as board president at its meeting Wednesday at FUSD headquarters. "I am truly honored and very excited about the vote of confidence from my fellow colleagues," Cazares said. Cazares was elected to the board in 2016 after beating...
Improving Special Ed Top Priority For New FUSD Trustees
Three new members will join the Fresno Unified School Board on Wednesday, and all say improving special education will be among their top priorities. "That is something that is very high on my list," said Terry Slatic, who will succeed Brooke Ashjian representing the Bullard High School area. Slatic believes the board...
School Boards: Incumbents Fall in Clovis, Central, Fresno, SCCCD
Veva Islas ousted incumbent Christopher De La Cerda in the Fresno Unified school board race to represent McLane High School trustee area. With 100% precincts reporting, Islas garnered 59% of the vote. De La Cerda, a retired school educator, was seeking his second full term on the school board. The...
Thomas, Fuentes Address Class Sizes at Area 1 Candidates Forum
Ways to fund the reduction of class sizes, the best way to approach student discipline and how to ensure everyone in school feels safe were a few of the questions that Fresno Unified Area 1 candidates Keshia Thomas and Robert Fuentes answered Monday evening at GV Wire's Candidate Forum. GV...
Edison Area Trustee Candidates Offer Their Visions for Fresno Unified
The November election will bring new representation for the Edison High School area on the Fresno Unified school board. After 12 years as a trustee, Lindsay Cal Johnson decided not to run for re-election. He will exit having made good on perhaps his biggest promise to Edison area families: The...