Visalia Unified rehired a campus supervisor let go over texts to a student; now $12M paid
Visalia Unified School District rehired DeJaun Jones as a campus supervisor at Mt. Whitney High School in October 2022, about a decade after the school let him go in 2013 over allegations he sent improper text messages to a student-athlete, according to the victims' attorney. Prosecutors say Jones began abusing students in 2022; in 2026 he pleaded guilty to felony counts and on July 8, 2026 was sentenced to five years in state prison for lewd acts with two 15-year-old girls. The district has agreed to settlements totaling nearly $12 million: $8 million to one victim announced in November 2025 and $3.94 million to a second. The district said it cannot comment on personnel matters and follows legally required screening, but did not say whether the earlier reports were found. Board members serving at the time of the rehire did not respond to FOX26.
Jones worked at Mount Whitney High School as a campus supervisor.
So, when he went to Mt. Whitney, he had that all in his background,
On Wednesday, 40-year-old Jones was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for lewd acts with teens.
Said it cannot comment on individual personnel matters and follows a legally required pre-employment screening process.
Contacted — no response by publication. This space stays open; any statement is added here in full.
No outcome recorded yet.