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Following a tumultuous few months for the San Diego Unified School District over sexual harassment claims against former Superintendent Lamont Jackson, district officials Wednesday were looking at harassment reporting overhauls.
The SDUSD's new Office of Investigations, Compliance and Accountability delivered an update on an overhaul to the district's "approach to receiving and responding to reports of sexual harassment, civil rights violations and safety."
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"We are making it easier for our staff and students to report incidents with a new online reporting tool that previously did not exist," said Farshad Talebi, executive director of the ICA, at Tuesday night's SDUSD Board of Education meeting. "Our Title IX Officer now has the support of an expert team that promptly evaluates, investigates and sees each case through until there is an outcome and resolution."
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According to Talebi, the ICA office has received more than 3,500 reports since 2023 through its online Ethicspoint Reporting System (reports can be filed with San Diego Unified online). The reports are assigned to an investigative specialist who "documents, tracks and ensures the report is addressed appropriately before being closed in their database," a district statement said.
"Our school district has a responsibility to ensure every student and staff member feels safe, respected and protected," Bagula said. "Sexual harassment and misconduct is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are working to maintain a culture of accountability, proactive prevention, and deliver unwavering support for any who are impacted. We have made great progress, and I believe we're headed in the right direction."
"The changes we have made are helping us to build trust amongst parents, students and staff. We take privacy and confidentiality very seriously. People now feel safe, and better supported in speaking up when they feel misconduct has occurred."
In August 2024, the district fired Jackson, citing results of an independent investigation into "credible" accounts of inappropriate conduct toward two former district employees. In May of that year, the district had opened the investigation into Jackson. The district retained Los Angeles law firm Sanchez & Amador in April to conduct "sensitive internal investigations."
In December 2024, the SDUSD and Jackson were sued by a former district employee who alleges Jackson routinely sexually harassed her and that she was demoted for refusing his advances. The complaint came from Monika Hazel, a former area superintendent with the SDUSD and now superintendent of the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District.
Hazel's suit alleges that shortly after Jackson became superintendent, he "subjected her to sexually harassing conduct," including touching her without her consent, asking her for sex and "offering opportunities contingent upon plaintiff's compliance with his sexual advances."
The complaint also says Hazel faced "hostile and discriminatory behavior" from Fabiola Bagula, then the district's deputy superintendent and currently the SDUSD's acting superintendent following Jackson's termination.
The San Diego Unified School District is the state's second-largest, with more than 95,000 students and 15,000 employees across more than 200 schools. It has a budget topping $2 billion.