Should a teenage cheerleader pay for Fresno trustee Slatic’s court costs? He thinks so
The Bullard High School cheerleader who last year asked for a temporary restraining order against Fresno Unified School District Trustee Terry Slatic could end up paying for his attorney’s fees.
The teen could be on the hook for more than $10,000, according to Fresno County Superior Court records.
Slatic is asking the court to force the cheerleader to cover the full costs of court and attorney bills he accumulated while defending himself against the teenager’s claims of harassment.
Slatic on Tuesday declined to comment on the matter.
The teen’s attorney, Aida Macedo, said Slatic is “basically calling (the teenager) a liar” to make himself look like the victim.
Macedo said that while the court ruled the behavior wasn’t harassment that “doesn’t mean she made up this whole story.”
“This is another example of bullying behavior this trustee continues to exhibit,” Macedo told The Bee. “This shows the public the behavior she had to deal with.”
Macedo said this is the third time Slatic has demanded reimbursement from the teen after being denied twice before.
In a formal response to the court Macedo also noted that Slatic is asking for money from a “16-year-old minor with no income.”
“She sought protection from the court against defendant Slatic as a last resort,” Macedo wrote. “Granting of costs and attorney’s fees would create an unnecessary and undue hardship to the minor.”
Slatic’s attorney Michael Goldfeder fired back, calling Macedo’s argument “grandiose sympathizing.”
“Her age and/or employment status cannot erase the fact she chose to proceed on a patently frivolous action against (Slatic),” Goldfeder wrote.
A hearing to determine whether Slatic will recoup his costs is set for Jan. 22.
The development comes more than two months after a Fresno County court commissioner rejected a request from the cheerleader for a temporary restraining order against Slatic, saying the trustee’s actions did not constitute harassment.
The teenager and her mother sought the protection order in connection with a meeting Slatic had with the cheer squad at the Bullard High campus July 10. They accused Slatic of threatening the team and harassing students.
Slatic has said he was concerned the cheerleading program could be jeopardized after two teammates posted a blackface video online. The incident sparked tension on the team, including allegations of bullying against the two girls accused of creating the video.
Slatic’s attorney also slammed the teenager for what he described as her “pernicious penchant for lying and outright fabricating” the facts of the case. Goldfeder went on to describe the teen’s legal effort as “nothing more than a political vendetta in the hopes of gaining traction for a recall election.”
During testimony given in November, Slatic, a retired Marine, denied threatening the cheerleaders and said he did not believe he was rude or agitated when he told members of the squad to stop picking on the two girls who posted the video.
In other testimony, Leah Alvarado, Bullard High School pep and cheer director, described Slatic’s behavior that day as “unnerving” and “very upsetting.” She later reported the encounter to police.
Ultimately, however, Commissioner Noel Pebet ruled there was not enough evidence to support a restraining order against Slatic.
“I am not here to decide if he should have been there,” Pebet said in November, “but to decide if it rose to the level of harassment.”
While Slatic avoided the legal restraining order, the remaining trustees on the Fresno Unified School Board formally censured Slatic in August in connection with a series of incidents that triggered investigations, including the confrontation with cheerleaders. Slatic has threatened to sue the school district unless the board agrees to water down the parameters of the censure.
Slatic is expected to raise the censure issue Wednesday night during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 7:49 PM.