The teachers' union also says it wants Trustee Keshia Thomas to end her current campaign for Fresno City Council's District 3 seat.
It comes amid a defamation lawsuit against the school district and Thomas.
The suit alleges Thomas defamed the plaintiff, former Bullard High School teacher and coach Don Arax, by accusing him of using a racial slur in front of and about Thomas' son.
In part of an April 2025 deposition video of Thomas obtained by Action News, she responds to several questions asked by an attorney representing Arax.
Arax's attorney: "At any point in time, did you tell (someone) that Mr. Arax was a racist?"
Thomas: "I have never referred to him as a racist to anyone."
Arax's attorney: "Do you understand that if you tell people that Mr. Arax refers to your son as the N-word, that they would understand that Mr. Arax is racist?"
Thomas' attorney: "Objection. Cause for speculation."
Thomas: "Thank you. And I never said he called my son the N-word."
But a ruling by a Fresno County judge last month highlights part of a May 2022 discussion Thomas participated in on GV Wire, a Fresno-based digital news site.
In it, Thomas said her son went to football practice, where Arax called him the N-word.
The Fresno Teachers Association says after asserting for years that her statements about Arax were true, Thomas withdrew that truth defense in court last week.
FTA President Manuel Bonilla issued a statement this week, calling for Thomas to resign from the Fresno Unified board, and drop out of the Fresno City Council race.
"How can we as a community trust that what she says is accurate, it's true?" said Bonilla during an interview with Action News.
Bonilla is also raising questions about Fresno Unified's management of the case, and how much it cost taxpayers.
In a statement, the district told Action News:
"FUSD agreed to help cover trustee Thomas' legal fees at a time when we had no reason to question her account.
Since then, new information has come to light. In her deposition, Thomas acknowledged that some of her earlier statements were not accurate, and her son made a similar acknowledgment in his own declaration.
In light of this, the FUSD Board will reconsider whether it will continue supporting Thomas' attorneys' fees.
We also want to be clear about the scope of our support: FUSD has not agreed to indemnify Thomas should she be found liable for defamation.
We're hopeful that mediation on August 31, will help the parties find common ground on the remaining questions of damages and liability."
Hours after Action News reached out to Thomas for comment on Monday, she released a statement to local media, publicly apologizing to Arax and his family.
She says the apology comes after she learned that what her son told her in 2022, which prompted her statements about Arax, was inaccurate.
In the statement, she says:
"At the time, I believed my son. As a mother, when my child told me something had occurred involving race, I took him seriously. As a school board member, I also believed I had a responsibility to take seriously anything that could affect whether students felt safe, respected and comfortable in their school environment. My concern was not only for my son, but for every child entrusted to our schools.
I acted on what I believed to be true and from what I believed was an honorable responsibility to stand up for children and against injustice. I have now learned that the information I relied upon concerning Mr. Arax was not accurate.
I have always advocated for truth, justice and equality. Those principles have to mean something even when applying them is difficult, unpopular or inconvenient.
I believed my son had been wronged and I stood up for him. Now that I have learned the information I relied upon regarding Mr. Arax was not accurate, I am standing up again. Standing for what's right means standing for everyone. The truth has to matter in both circumstances, and the fact that this involves my own family does not change that.
Mr. Arax, I sincerely apologize to you and your family. I believed the information I had at the time, but I have since learned that the information I relied upon was not accurate. Had I known then what I know today, I would not have made those statements. I cannot undo what I said, but I can acknowledge what I know today, take responsibility for the words I spoke and offer you the apology you deserve.
As a mother, I believe parents should listen when their children tell them they have been harmed. As a school board member, I believe we have an obligation to take concerns about the treatment of students seriously. I believed those responsibilities then, and I believe them today.
My concern was never simply about my own child. It was about ensuring that every student could feel safe, respected and valued in their school environment.
My intentions were to protect, not to harm. That is why this apology matters.
Leadership is not about defending a position at all costs. It is about defending what is right. Sometimes that means having the courage to speak up. Sometimes it means having the humility to apologize. And sometimes it means changing course when the facts require it, even when doing so is personally difficult, unpopular or inconvenient.
I will continue to stand up for children and families and fight for truth, justice and equality. But those principles require me to apply the same standard to everyone, including myself and those closest to me. Truth cannot depend upon whose side it favors. Justice cannot depend upon who is involved. And accountability has to begin with each of us being willing to hold ourselves accountable.
I stood up then because, based upon the information I had, I believed it was the right thing to do. I'm standing up now because the information I have today requires something different of me.
Today, standing up means acknowledging what I now know, taking responsibility for my words and apologizing to Mr. Arax and his family.
I stood up then. I'm standing up now. Because standing for what's right means standing for everyone-even when it isn't popular or convenient."
Immediately following that media release, Thomas contacted ABC30 reporter Kerry Mannix directly with an additional statement sent only to Action News:
"I am not resigning.
Today, I issued a public statement addressing this matter directly, including my apology to Mr. Arax. I acted on information I believed to be true, and when I learned that information was not true, I acknowledged it, apologized and did what I believe leadership requires.
FTA's attempt to turn an act of accountability into a political demand for my resignation is irresponsible and distracting. It is also troubling coming from a labor organization whose movement is built on due process, fair representation and the right to be heard. Those principles should not disappear when politically inconvenient.
I was elected by the people of my community, and attempts to circumvent their voice through political pressure are fundamentally undemocratic. I will not resign for acknowledging the truth and doing what I believe is right. I respectfully direct anyone seeking to understand my position to the statement I released today."
According to public court records, if the two parties do not find common ground during upcoming mediation, the case could go to trial in December.
When Arax first filed the lawsuit in 2022, he claimed more than $10,000 in damages, which he would have to prove.
Kerry Mannix is a general assignment reporter for ABC30 Action News. For news updates, follow her on Instagram.