Hayward Unified School District Superintendent Jason Reimann resigned on Monday, just days after Hayward Unified School District’s Board of Education unanimously voted to place him on administrative leave at its meeting on Feb. 26 to investigate an “alleged incident.”
Reimann’s resignation, effective May 3, comes less than two years after he assumed the district’s top position, leaving more questions than answers after the Board of Education did not disclose the impetus for its investigation, but divulged that Reimann’s arrest on charges of alleged DUI and criminal speeding in Alameda County last August were not its focus.
“The district is aware of the August incident. We had placed him on leave to investigate a completely separate incident, but in light of his resignation, that investigation has ceased and the district is moving forward,” a statement from the HUSD Education Board said.
Attempts by Bay Area News Group to contact Reimann were unsuccessful.
When Reimann joined HUSD in July of 2023, he had recently received accolades for educational excellence, including the 2022 Marcus Foster Educator of the Year Award from the California Association of African American School Administrators and the 2022 Valuing Diversity Award from the Association of California School Administrators. The HUSD Education Board voted 4-1 to hire him as superintendent for an annual salary of $290,000 to replace interim Superintendent Chien Wu-Fernandez; she will be reassuming her position as interim superintendent following Reimann’s resignation.
HUSD Education Board President Peter Bufete lauded Reimann’s background and his vision for the future of the district, which had faced severe academic setbacks from distance learning in the pandemic.
“Dr. Reimann comes to us with a proven commitment to equity and a track record of success in building successful academic programs for all students,’’ said Board President Peter Bufete at the time. “He also impressed upon us his expertise around organizational theory, understanding of the fiscal challenges ahead, and his dedication to a collaborative leadership approach.”
Numerous controversies enveloped the district during Reimann’s tenure, including the backlash to the ultra-progressive education program Woke Kindergarten that was hired to address inequity and chronic absenteeism at Glassbrook Elementary School. Politically divisive social media posts by Woke Kindergarten’s founder brought public scrutiny onto the organization’s work inside the district, forcing the board to end their three-year contract early. More recently, a Tennyson High School substitute teacher was arrested for allegedly sending a picture of his penis to an undercover cop posing as a 13-year-old in March.
On Aug. 16, 2024, Reimann was arrested for speeding more than 20 mph over the speed limit and refused to submit to a sobriety test, according to Alameda County court documents.
“It is further alleged that the above is punishable under Vehicle Code 23582,” a sentencing enhancement for DUI charges that could add up to 60 days more to a jail sentence, the court document states. Court documents allege Reimann had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 — nearly twice the legal limit.
Following HUSD Board of Education’s meeting on Feb. 26, the board sent out an email to HUSD staff members stating that Reimann was being placed on administrative leave while an investigation was conducted.
“The Board of Education placed Superintendent Dr. Jason Reimann on administrative leave pending an investigation,” a Feb. 27 email to HUSD members stated. “Please rest assured that this decision is unrelated to the Fiscal Solvency Plan discussed at last night’s meeting.”
On Monday, Bay Area News Group sent inquiries to members of the board regarding the focus of the board’s investigation and its connection, if any, to Reimann’s arrest last year.
Bufete issued a response on behalf of the board stating that the district was aware of the incident, but their investigation focused on a “separate issue” that would not be investigated further following Reimann’s resignation.
An email to HUSD staff stated that Reimann resigned for “personal reasons,” Bufete wrote to district staff Tuesday morning. “We will keep you updated as the Board moves forward to fill the position.”
