Former Mesa High School official claims that an inaccurate police report destroyed his career

A former Mesa High School administrator filed a $750,000 notice of claim against the city of Mesa last month over a disputed police report he says destroyed his career.

David Klecka alleges that an inaccurate police report about a fight on campus contributed to him losing his job as athletic director and assistant principal.

A Mesa Police Department report indicated that Klecka and then-principal Kirk Thomas didn’t immediately report the possible presence of a firearm during a fight that occurred after a soccer game on Feb. 12, 2026.

Klecka alleges that the police report didn’t accurately portray the incident and the officer who prepared it never talked to him despite being on campus the day after the fight.

“Officer Barry Mullen walked by my office probably 10 times that day to where he could have come in and said, ‘Hey, let’s let me interview you about the soccer game.'” Klecka told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday. “Never once talked to me about it, never once asked me about it. But then I got a copy of the report in December of 2025, and it’s just all about me.”

Police wound up recommending charges against Klecka and Thomas for failure to follow mandatory reporting requirements.

The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board then put the two officials on administrative leave and voted against renewing their contracts.

However, the city prosecutor’s office reviewed the case and declined to press charges against Klecka and Thomas after the district cut ties with them.

“A lot of people have a misnomer that charges were filed against me. They never were. The prosecutor decided not to move forward,” Klecka said.

Why did former Mesa High official file $750,000 claim against city?

Klecka filed a notice of claim against the city seeking $750,000 in damages because he believes the police report is hurting his ability to get another job. A notice of claim is an attempt to reach a settlement ahead of a potential lawsuit against a government entity.

“I applied for 16 jobs. … I did end up getting one interview. I got hired. I made it all the way to the board meeting where they were going to approve me. Two hours before the board meeting, I got a call from them saying we can’t hire you. They really didn’t give me any reason,” he said.

Mesa Public Schools is not involved in the potential lawsuit.

“Mesa Public Schools and Mr. Klecka reached a mutually agreeable resolution, and the district has no further comment,” a district spokesperson told KTAR News.

There is currently a GoFundMe page open for Klecka and Thomas, with Mesa community members sponsoring the fundraiser to help with their legal fees.

“These are not men with disciplinary histories. These are leaders with decades of unblemished service, countless lives impacted and reputations built on trust. As a community, watching this happen to them has been heartbreaking,” the GoFundMe page says.

As of Monday, the total raised was more than $15,000 dollars.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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