Former San Jose State Coach Suspended From His Current Job

The Plumas Unified School District has suspended Quincy High School’s deputy principal and athletic director Jason Hawkins to investigate “possible misconduct” since he joined the school in 2018.

The suspension follows an EdSource report that Hawkins sexually and racially harassed players when he coached the San Jose State baseball team in 2017.

Plumas Superintendent William Roderick said in a statement that Hawkins has been put on furlough amid “the District’s allegations of possible misconduct by Mr. Hawkins during his tenure with the Plumas Unified School District. As with all human resources, the details are confidential and cannot be shared at this time.”

He did not say when Hawkins was suspended, but he had told EdSource on Tuesday that Hawkins was at work that day.

Hawkins did not respond to a phone message and an email on Friday. His email account at school generated an automatic reply that he was out of the office.

While in San Jose State in 2017, investigators found that Hawkins sexually and racially harassed players and his coaching staff with raunchy sex jokes told during the team’s “story time.” refer to Asian players and make derogatory comments about other racial groups and women.

San Jose State placed Hawkins on administrative leave in late 2017 after completing an investigation that revealed he had used sexual and racial language to harass its players and staff. Hawkins resigned in early 2018 before university officials made a decision on how to punish him.

A separate investigation found that the baseball team had violated NCAA rules during Hawkin’s tenure. The university was fined $5,000 and probation for two years. The press release announcing Hawkins’ resignation gave no reason for his departure.

San Jose state officials confirmed that the Plumas district did not investigate Hawkins and make no request for a recommendation when he was hired in 2018.