SAN DIEGO — A former area superintendent at San Diego Unified is suing the district and her former boss, Lamont Jackson, over allegations that he sexually harassed her on multiple occasions and later demoted her when she rebuked him.
The lawsuit from Monika Hazel, now a superintendent at Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, comes just over four months after San Diego Unified fired Lamont Jackson for harassing employees, including Hazel.
In a non-conformed lawsuit obtained by CBS 8, Hazel says Jackson didn't wait long after getting hired as San Diego Unified's leader in 2021 when the inappropriate advances and harassment began.
According to Hazel's lawsuit, Jackson began slipping in sexually suggestive statements during conversations with Hazel, referring to himself as a "player" and telling Hazel that he was "very bad."
Jackson allegedly grew more emboldened in the following months, asking Hazel to "take off and go to Vegas" and invitations to his house to engage in "no strings sex" with him.
In her lawsuit, Hazel mentions repeated instances where Jackson would make sexually provocative statements and gestures toward Hazel.
Hazel claims the harassment was soon coupled with retaliation when then-Deputy Superintendent Fabiola Bagula, the current Superintendent, was appointed in May 2022.
Hazel says Bagula ordered her to "cower" in her presence and talk in a "baby girl voice" when raising job-related concerns. She also claims Bagula reprimanded her in front of other employees.
The harassment and mistreatment intensified in December 2022 when Hazel said Jackson invited her for drinks at a hotel in Mission Bay. Once at the bar, Jackson repeatedly asked Hazel to "check into the hotel" with him and told her that he wanted her to be the district's future.
After rejecting Jackson's advances, Hazel learned she was getting demoted from area superintendent to a teacher position. When she complained about the demotion and resulting pay cut, Jackson allegedly told Hazel, according to the lawsuit, "You made your choice. I had to make a choice. I couldn’t haven’t two work wives [referring to Bagula.]”
Hazel claims the mistreatment and demotion forced her to quit her job and look elsewhere.
In a statement to CBS 8, the district said:
“We have not yet been served. Our Counsel needs to review the lawsuit, and upon that review will take the appropriate actions required to protect the District’s best interest.”
