Three years after retiring from the Davis School District, Jacqueline Thompson has rejoined the district as an assistant superintendent. According to a press release, she will focus on diversity and equity in light of the U.S. Department of Justice report on racial harassment and bullying that took place in district schools between 2015 and 2020.

Thompson will officially begin in her position in early December. Before retiring from DSD in 2018, she was the director of educational equity. According to the district, her duties “included the District’s Parent Equity Committee, multicultural education, civil rights issues, Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage (REACH) training, Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID), and the V(i)llage Program.”

The hire also comes in light of the suicide death of 10-year-old student Izzy Tichenor. Tichenor, who is Black, faced bullying and harassment in Foxboro Elementary, according to her mother.

During a Nov. 16 press conference, Superintendent Reid Newey endorsed the idea of wholesale change to make sure students of color, approximately 13%-15% of the district, are safe and comfortable. Thompson is also Black.

“We believe Dr. Thompson will be key in moving us in a definitive direction as we move forward in our efforts to do better for all students,” Newey said in a press release. “She is a valuable resource and someone who understands better than anyone where we need to go.”

According to the district, Thompson also previously worked as a gender equity specialist and education specialist in the Utah State Office of Education and as an Equal Employment Opportunity specialist at Hill Air Force Base.

Newsletter