This seven-year timeline of the former chief of staff Jerry Hobbs was compiled based on reporting by Voice of San Diego (VOSD), San Diego Union-Tribune (SDUT), leaked documents and public records. The fast hiring of Hobbs led to community concerns about insider dealing and lack of transparency.
May 2018 – A Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) investigation concluded Jerry Hobbs used racial slurs such as the ‘n-word,’ made sexist comments and offensive remarks around students and staff during four years of teaching at REACH Academy. He said the investigation was retaliatory but resigned the next day.
2019 – Hobbs submitted 170-page defense to California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The commission declined to discipline him.
2022 or 2023 – Lawyer John Howard, who helped trustees Robert Shield, Jim Kelly and Gary Woods get re-elected in 2022, hired Hobbs, a certified paralegal.
Feb. 2024 – The district’s director of special education, Rose Tagnesi, is demoted after an investigation into an incident at Santana High School. She resigned. Tagnesi was one of the witnesses against Hobbs in 2018, according to SDUT.
July 2024 – The district hired JW Howard Attorneys to further investigate the incident at Santana that led to four administrators resigning. Howard’s firm finds 24 victims of retaliation from Tagnesi, including Hobbs. He volunteered to spearhead the investigation of his former boss.
Sept. 2024 – Tagnesi filed a lawsuit alleging anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination at GUHSD.
Dec. 2024 – Based on Hobbs’ investigation into Tagnesi, Howard recommended the district find a way to clear Hobbs’ employment record so he can be rehired. Hobbs conferred with longtime district counsel William Diedrich, who suggested a settlement agreement. Hobbs wrote the first draft of the settlement and coordinated between Diedrich and Howard to finalize it. According to a memo from Howard to trustee Kelly sent in April, Hobbs surreptitiously inserted “illegal language” granting himself automatic teacher tenure without either attorney’s knowledge.
Dec. 2024 – Board voted to approve settlement agreement with Hobbs. According to trustee Chris Fite, it was not until public records requests from media months later that Hobbs’ 2018 statement of charges in its entirety was shown to the board.
Jan. 2025 – GUHSD board hired Hobbs, who had no education administration experience, to new top role as director for student and family engagement and learning.
Feb. 2025 – On the same night it approved the layoff of librarians, teachers and support staff, GUHSD board created a chief of staff position and immediately appointed Hobbs for $187,000 a year salary without a wide search or prior community input. It was touted as essentially the same job but a different title as his January hiring.
April 2025 – Howard sent memo to Kelly alleging Hobbs deceived Howard and Diedrich to add automatic teacher tenure to the settlement agreement. The memo is leaked to the media, further enraging a public frustrated with the district creating a high-paying administrative role while eliminating student-facing roles. Hobbs claimed the attorneys knew about the tenure provision.
May 2025 – Hours after finalizing the layoffs of dozens of employees, board president Woods announced following an unspecified conflict about his future employment, Hobbs resigned.
June 30, 2025 – Hobbs resignation takes effect, although he stopped work immediately in May and was merely being paid for the last month. His resignation settlement includes not suing the district, not being eligible for rehire and the district paying out $186,500.
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