A former Mesa Public Schools employee has filed a $750,000 notice of claim against the city of Mesa. He alleges that an inaccurate police report caused him to lose his job.
David Klecka used to be the athletic director and assistant principal at Mesa High School. In documents filed with the city, he said in February 2025, a fight broke out between students in a school parking lot and he responded as the on-site administrator.
Klecka wrote that Officer Barry Mullen later filed a report without interviewing him and that the report "omitted exculpatory information and included allegations that were never verified with Klecka."
Klecka's claim indicates there was a rumor about a firearm, but that no weapon was ever found. The report stated that Klecka chose not to contact law enforcement.
Arizona law requires administrators to immediately report incidents involving deadly weapons or threats of serious physical injury to local law enforcement.
Klecka said the report contributed to the loss of his job. He added that the damage to his reputation led to other schools not wanting to hire him.
Read the notice of claim
