By admin 
MESA, AZ — David Klecka, a former athletic director at Mesa High School, has filed a $750,000 claim against the City of Mesa, alleging that a Mesa police officer’s report directly led to the loss of his job and damaged his reputation.
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The claim centers on a varsity soccer match in February 2025, during which a fight allegedly involving a gun occurred. Arizona law requires educators to report gun-related incidents at their schools to police.
Klecka contends that a Mesa police officer was notified of the incident in real time by security staff and the school’s principal the night it happened, and that he was not the one who failed to report it.
At the heart of Klecka’s claim is an alleged contradiction between a police report approved by a supervisor on February 26 and the officer’s own email written on February 13, the day after the incident.
The notice of claim includes a copy of that email, in which security staff and the school’s principal, not Klecka, told the officer they had the situation handled.
Klecka’s contract was not renewed following the incident.
A City of Mesa spokesperson declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
Klecka says he has applied for 16 jobs in high school education since losing his position and has received no offers.
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He notes the Arizona Department of Education and a Mesa prosecutor have both cleared him and that he has a clean record. He has not hired an attorney and says requests to discuss the allegations directly with Mesa Police have gone unanswered.
Klecka has separately settled a case with Mesa Public Schools, though the terms of that settlement prevent him from discussing it publicly.
The city has 60 days to respond to the late June claim, which is a precursor to a potential lawsuit.
This summary was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence. All facts were reviewed and verified by the journalist.
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