STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Unified School District reinstated longtime educator Christina Fugazi Thursday, nearly four months after the former Stockton Vice Mayor was placed on paid administrative leave.
Fugazi, who most recently served as assistant principal for Edison High School, says the district never told her why she was put on leave March 24.
"Apparently, there is an investigation that is ongoing, but I have been cleared of any wrongdoing," said Fugazi. "It's amazing... going to Edison today and seeing the people that I work with, the staff members that I have been blessed enough to work with... lots of hugs."
The district declined to provide the reason for putting Fugazi on leave, saying they could not comment on personnel matters to preserve the integrity of all parties.
Two months before placing Fugazi on leave, the district placed Edison High School Principal Chris Anderson on administrative leave. The district did not say whether the two leaves were connected.
Anderson has since resigned from the district and Justin Gan has been filling in as principal at Edison.
According to the job listing site EdJoin, the district is looking for a new high school principal, though the listing does not specify for which campus.
For the 2023-2024 school year, Stockton Unified will move Fugazi from Edison High School to serve as assistant principal at Stagg High School.
"I'm super excited to be going to Stagg, I want to do all I can for kids," said Fugazi. "I truly put kids first my entire life, nothing's going to change that. I'm going to bring that passion that I have and that work ethic with me to Stagg."
In addition to getting her office set up at Stagg, Fugazi is getting her campaign set up to run for Stockton Mayor in 2024.
"(This week) I let people know that I am going to be running for mayor," said Fugazi. "I love the city and I don't want to leave, I just want to make it better."
Fugazi joins a small field of mayoral candidates including community center director Ernesto Gonzalez who lost a bid for city council in 2018 and city councilman Daniel Wright.
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