SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — For the first time since his firing, former San Diego Unified School District superintendent Lamont Jackson is sharing his side of the story.
In a statement sent to ABC 10News, Jackson denied the sexual harassment claims made against him.
"“I’ve had over 30 years in this district, in this career field. I’ve acted in a professional manner," part of the statement says. “I would never act in the ways that are being alleged. You can talk to colleagues, and they will share the same.”
In August, the district school board voted unanimously to terminate Jackson after finding the allegations against him credible.
The lawyer for the two women accusing him of misconduct says her clients stand by their claims.
Tavga Bustani, one of the women who filed a claim against Jackson, claims she was demoted after rejecting sexual advances from him. The former administrator, who worked for the district for 27 years, claims Jackson repeatedly talked about his sexual interest in her while speaking about career opportunities.
The legal claim says Jackson implied, "there would be an exchange of advancement for the intimate relations."
On July 12, Monika Hazel, a district administrator who worked for San Diego Unified from 2017-2023, sent the district a claim.
In her claim, Hazel says Jackson called her "his work wife" and tried to get her to come with him to a hotel room, his house while his wife was not home, and even to Las Vegas. Hazel claims once she rejected Jackson a final time, she was later demoted.
You can read Jackson's full statement denying the allegations below:
On Friday, ABC 10News anchor Wale Aliyu asked now interim superintendent Fabiola Bagula if she ever saw Jackson behave inappropriately.
"No, but I'm mostly working, like I have a really long to-do list," she said.
