By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff
Following a four-month investigation into San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson, SDUSD Board President Shana Hazan announced Friday that Dr. Jackson would be separating from the district for “inappropriate misconduct” against two former female employees.
Effective immediately, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Fabiola Bagula will be stepping in as Acting Superintendent.
A San Diego native, the termination marks the end of a thirty-year long career at the district, beginning as a teaching assistant and rising through the ranks to become the district’s superintendent in March 2022.
The independent investigation, conducted by Sanchez & Amador, LLP, was requested in early April, after a board member was notified that Dr. Jackson had made unwanted sexual advances against two women. Rejecting his advances, the two women were terminated from their contracts in 2023, a move they claim was out of retaliation.
Through the course of the investigation, which included Dr. Jackson, the two women, and other witnesses, further accusations came to light about the superintendent’s conduct, including that he promotes women he engages in sexual misconduct with, and has engaged in other offensive and sexually charged behavior.
In regards to the unwelcome advances made against the two employees, the investigation found sufficient evidence to substantiate their claims, however could not find sufficient evidence to credit claims of sexually motivated promotions or retaliatory termination.
Based on these findings, “The Board of Education and the Superintendent have mutually agreed that separation is in the best interest of the District.”
Dr. Jackson received the appointment of Superintendent after Joe Biden’s administration tapped former superintendent Cindy Marten to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education in 2021. Marten’s record as Superintendent also drew controversy surrounding her lack of support for African-American students and families.
“During her administration, African-American students and families have not only been systematically de-prioritized, but key programs and resources to support African-American student success have been stripped and “abolished,” wrote the NAACP San Diego branch, in a letter of opposition to her appointment as Deputy Education Secretary.
Dr. Jackson’s entry in the role marked the first time an African-American male led the district. Receiving an annual base pay of $475,338 including benefits throughout his two and half year tenure, Dr. Jackson will receive a six month severance pay.
“We are grateful for Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson’s leadership. We are confident that Dr. Bagula’s experienced leadership will provide stability and consistency for our students, families and educators during his transition,” said the Board in a formal statement.
Dr. Bagula served as principal for Balboa Elementary School, an Area 6 Superintendent, Senior Director at the County Board of Education, and as of 2022 Deputy Superintendent to Dr. Jackson.
“Dr. Fabiola Bagula, Ph.D., Deputy Superintendent for the San Diego Unified School District, advances dynamic, large-scale change initiatives that improve outcomes for students and educators in public TK-12 systems,” her bio says.
As a public servant, she was given the 2013 Cesar Chavez Visionary leader award as well as an honor for San Diego’s 79th district educational leadership award from Representative, Dr. Weber.
Her bio also reads, “her bicultural experiences on the San Diego border have informed and guided her widely respected and visionary work in emancipatory leadership and diversity, equity, and belonging.”
