The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education is expected to talk about plans for choosing a new superintendent in the next few weeks, a district spokesperson said Tuesday. This comes after former Superintendent Lamont Jackson was terminated following a monthslong investigation that found evidence he engaged in inappropriate behavior with staff.
"The Board is committed to transparency and maintaining open lines of communication with the public," the district's statement to NBC 7 read.
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The search process for Jackson took about 10 months in 2021. The search advisory committee reported recruitment was open to qualified candidates from around the globe before promoting Jackson from within.
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Trial attorney John Gomez represents the 11 San Diego Unified employees suing the district over claims of sexual assault and retaliation. That lawsuit, filed back in May, names Jackson in his role as superintendent.
“I think it's unfortunate,” Gomez said. “I think there is a commonality, and it's one of corruption and sexual misconduct.”
Gomez said considering that lawsuit, the Department of Education’s investigation into hundreds of students' sexual assault claims and now Jackson getting fired, something major has to change. He says the search for a new superintendent needs to be taken nationwide instead of promoting from within.
“I think now it's time to look outside and find someone new — someone willing to maybe ruffle some feathers and maybe make not so nice," Gomez said. "Someone that's going to come in and really instill black-and-white values and ensure that those black-and-white values are applied consistently and fairly without corruption.”
However, it is unclear if there will be an official search for a new superintendent.
Gomez expects more corruption to come to light over time.
“If you are within the district and continue to engage in this conduct, I’m hopeful that this will be a wakeup call and a call to put that conduct to rest because it's not going to fly any longer, hopefully within the San Diego Unified School District,” he said.
For now, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Fabiola Bagula will be the acting superintendent. School board officials announced her position on Friday.
