San Diego Unified reviewing investigation into school superintendent

The San Diego Unified School District board plans on meeting Friday afternoon to review the results of an investigation of the district’s superintendent.

The school leader is facing misconduct allegations from former female district employees, according to NBC 7’s media partners at the Voice of San Diego, which first reported back in May that the district hired an outside firm to look into allegations against Superintendent Lamont Jackson.

Since then, the district and the board have declined to comment or provide any more details, but the VOSD cites four sources with knowledge of the matter who say the results are in and that the district is currently reviewing them and plans on a closed-door session regarding the matter at 2 p.m. on Friday.

“The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education will meet in closed session at 2 p.m. today, Aug. 30, to discuss the findings of a third-party investigation into Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson,” the district said in an email sent out on Friday morning. “Board President Shana Hazan plans to make a statement in the auditorium following the closed session meeting.”

Jackson was hired two and a half years ago, after President Joe Biden tapped Jackson’s predecessor, Cindy Marten, as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education.

As of Thursday, the teacher’s union had no comment regarding the investigation.

In May, NBC 7 reported that the district hired a Los Angeles law firm to handle the internal investigation, but the school district would not say at that time what the investigation entailed. The Voice of San Diego later reported the internal investigation was focused on Superintendent Lamont Jackson.

NBC 7 contacted SDUSD in May, and a spokesperson said in an email that the “district is precluded from commenting on personnel matters.” The station also reported at that time that it reached out to all school board members and the district’s teachers’ union, but none commented on the investigation.

The contract from the law firm, Sanchez & Amador, LLP, states the district retained the firm April 10, 2024, for representation “in sensitive internal investigations” for a rate of up to $540 per hour. At a public school board meeting on April 30, 2024, the school board approved the contract for an anticipated cost of $100,000.

The contract says attorney Lupe Valencia will have primary responsibility for the investigation. According to the law firm’s website, Valencia “directed and/or oversaw hundreds of internal investigations arising from a variety of employment-related claims, including harassment, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, code of conduct violations, and alleged fraudulent business practices…”