Slatic accused Fresno Unified schools of breaking the law. What the investigation found

A months-long investigation ended quietly late last year after Fresno County prosecutors found “no evidence” that Fresno Unified has a systemic problem of failing to inform teachers when violent or otherwise troubled students are transferred to new classrooms.

Fresno County Assistant District Attorney Jerry Stanley said prosecutors have informed FUSD Trustee Terry Slatic that no criminal charges would be filed and that the investigation into his complaint had been closed.

Slatic in September formally accused FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson and four other school board trustees of violating California education laws that require the district to inform teachers when a transfer student has a history of violence. At the time, Nelson said Slatic had raised the issue previously and had already been shown how the district follows the law.

Nelson on Wednesday said he was pleased to have the issue settled.

“We are grateful to have this issue behind us and are happy to see that the investigation found no evidence of a systemic issue within Fresno Unified,” Nelson said in a statement. “In fact, the investigation pointed to our reporting protocols and personnel in place that ensure we are in compliance with Education Code section 49709.”

Slatic could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

In a statement to The Bee on Wednesday, Stanley said prosecutors could not prove “that any individual knowingly failed to provide information as required.”

“Furthermore, there was no evidence found to suggest that there exists a systemic issue in which teachers are not being informed by the school district of any criminal convictions sustained by their students ...,” Stanley said. “Finally, no evidence was discovered to suggest any effort was made at the trustee level to prevent the dissemination of such information.”

Stanley said “several important factors weighed heavily in this determination,” including the existence of a district-wide computer system that distributes information to teachers, including internal student discipline records.

Additionally, courts are required to provide school districts with written notice when a minor is found to have committed a crime, “which the District Attorney’s Office confirmed is carried out on a weekly basis,” Stanley said.

Finally, Stanley said, county probation officers are assigned to each FUSD high school “to further disseminate information relevant” to education laws.

“As a result of these factors as established by the investigation and the relevant law, no charges will be filed in this matter,” Stanley told The Bee.

Slatic’s accusations came last fall during a particularly tense war of words with many of his fellow trustees.

Slatic’s tenure serving on the board of California’s third-largest school district has been fraught with in-fighting, but tensions boiled over in late August when Slatic appeared to stage a kind-of filibuster during FUSD’s regular school board meeting.

Then-FUSD Board President Valerie Davis ended the school board meeting after less than a full hour following numerous failed attempts to silence the disgruntled trustee. But Slatic continued to speak even after his microphone was shut off and parents were trying to address the board directly.

Slatic later told The Bee that he was already frustrated by another new rule limiting the time trustees can spend with the superintendent one-on-one. Slatic said he used to meet with the superintendent “two to three times a month” and said his fellow trustees have “taken away” that opportunity.

The fight escalated again a few days after the meeting when Slatic publicly accused four trustees and Nelson of breaking laws meant to protect teachers and other students.

The FUSD school board eventually censured Slatic over the outburst, his second formal censure during his first term in office.

This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 1:47 PM.