San Diego schools Superintendent Lamont Jackson was fired Friday, effective immediately, after an internal investigation found he engaged in sexual misconduct toward two former employees.
The two former district administration employees alleged that Jackson made sexual advances toward them that they rejected, according to a letter from the law firm that conducted the investigation for the San Diego Unified School District. They were subsequently fired in 2023. The two women alleged they were fired in retaliation.
The firm found evidence to corroborate that it was “more likely than not” that Jackson engaged in unwanted sexual conduct, consistent with a romantic interest in each of the two women, but insufficient evidence to corroborate that they were fired for rejecting his advances.
As a result, the board and Jackson “mutually agreed that separation is in the best interest of the district,” board President Shana Hazan said in a statement after a special closed-door board meeting Friday afternoon.
The investigation also uncovered other allegations, including that Jackson had promoted women with whom he had had sexual relationships, according to the firm. The firm said it found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation that the promotions of certain identified women were based on their having had sexual relationships with Jackson.
There were other allegations that Jackson had engaged in offensive and sexually charged behavior, according to the law firm, but it did not discuss the findings of those allegations.
The district did not release a full copy of the investigation report beyond a one-page summary.
Jackson was officially fired without cause under his contract, district spokeswoman Maureen Magee said. That means he will receive six months of severance pay.
Jackson did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
Hazan said Deputy Superintendent Fabiola Bagula took over as interim superintendent immediately.
“We are grateful to Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson for his leadership. We are confident that Dr. Bagula’s experienced leadership will provide stability and consistency for our students, families, and educators during this transition,” Hazan said.
The San Diego Unified School District teachers union supports Bagula's selection as interim superintendent, union president Kyle Weinberg said in a statement.
“As unionized educators, we fight for safe working conditions for public school employees and safe learning conditions for the students we serve. All public school employees have the right to a safe work environment,” Weinberg said.
The union representing San Diego Unified School District administrators, including school principals and district office employees, said in a statement to its members: “The decision to part ways in the wake of ongoing allegations of misconduct is a difficult but necessary step to uphold the values we hold dear. Our union, AASD, remains steadfast in its dedication to creating and maintaining a culture where every employee feels valued and safe.
“Please keep your colleagues close during this difficult time and guide them with compassion, kindness and courage,” the union added.
Jackson has been under investigation since the spring for allegations the district declined to disclose at the time. In April, the school board hired the law firm Sanchez & Amador for about $100,000 to conduct “sensitive internal investigations” that officials later confirmed involved Jackson.
Jackson has officially been the superintendent for only two and a half years, and his contract was set to run through June 2027. He currently receives an annual salary of $433,125, Magee said.
The board voted unanimously to select him as superintendent in March 2022 after a selection process that lasted more than a year. Board members said they chose him because of his long tenure in the district and what they said was his charisma and ability to build community with others.
At the time, Jackson had already been serving as interim superintendent for a year after the district's previous leader, Cindy Marten, left to become U.S. deputy secretary of education.
Friday's news adds to a tumultuous start to the San Diego Unified School District's school year, which is wrapping up its third week.
This month, a report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights was released saying that San Diego Unified had violated its obligations under Title IX, the federal law meant to protect students from discrimination based on sex, between 2017 and 2020. During that time, San Diego Unified was led by Marten.
The agency found that San Diego Unified had failed to demonstrate that it had followed up on Title IX investigations into alleged sexual misconduct toward students by other students and staff, had kept poor records of cases and had failed to train employees about Title IX, among other things.
In addition to the investigation into Jackson, the district has also been conducting an internal investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct, including harassment, retaliation and discrimination, against supervisors and the district's former police department chief.
A lawsuit filed by 11 school police officers last year alleged that former Chief Alfonso Contreras had a decades-long romantic relationship with a female sergeant and had sexually assaulted a female officer.
The suit also claimed that Jackson had retaliated against another officer by intimidating his girlfriend, a teacher; the suit claimed that Jackson sat in her class unannounced and gave her an unwanted hug.
In May, just two years after assuming his new role, it was announced that Contreras would be retiring from the police department.
In separate court filings in June, attorneys representing Contreras, the school district and Jackson denied the allegations, arguing that the employment actions taken were for legitimate reasons and not retaliation and faulting the plaintiffs for failing to protect their own safety and exhaust administrative remedies.
Taketa writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune
