San Diego Unified revamped its Title IX office after failing to protect students
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San Diego Unified School District failed to conduct legally required investigations following sexual misconduct allegations because it didn't employ enough qualified staffers in its Title IX department, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported this week.
Why it matters: That problem led to a federal investigation, including a review of 253 cases, finding that, for years, the school district systematically failed to protect students and staff from assault and harassment.
Between the lines: The district's former Title IX coordinator did not have experience in the law or compliance, and was mostly expected to handle reports alone for nearly 200 schools, according to the U-T.
- Case files were missing key information and documents, and the district failed to take action or didn't investigate at all, the federal review found.
Yes, but: Since 2023, the district has reorganized its Title IX office and procedures, including how it handles complaints.
Catch up quick: In January of that year, San Diego Unified hired Farshad Talebi, a prosecutor, former Title IX coordinator and state human trafficking task force coordinator, to lead its new internal investigations office that handles Title IX issues.
- Talebi now leads a restructured department that receives and processes complaints of misconduct, and investigates alleged discrimination and civil rights violations.
- The district also has a new Title IX coordinator, who's a family law attorney, and a team of five investigators with experience in law enforcement and child protective services.
Between the lines: Details of this federal investigation emerged as the district's former Superintendent Lamont Jackson was separately being investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct.
- He was fired Aug. 30 after a district investigation substantiated allegations by two former female employees.
What they're saying: "I am confident that we've been responding in compliance with the regulations, and I think the district in this case responded promptly as we would to any other allegations," Talebi told the Union-Tribune regarding the board's action.
The latest: The board named San Diego-native and long-time local educator Fabiola Bagula as interim superintendent Tuesday. As the district's second in command, she'd been acting superintendent since Jackson was fired.
- She's the first Latina to hold the top leadership position, according to the district.
- As of now, the board isn't planning to conduct a new search for a replacement, and Bagula would be the district's third consecutive homegrown superintendent, Voice of San Diego reported.
The intrigue: Last week, Bagula held a Zoom meeting with district principals where she referred to the accusations against Jackson as a "crisis," but did not mention victims of sexual harassment, assault or discrimination, per VOSD.
- She also did not discuss how she would work to prevent sexual misconduct from happening in the future.
Anyone can anonymously report a concern through the district investigations office's online reporting system, called EthicsPoint.