The Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education voted to uphold the superintendent's decision to discharge Sawyer Mason Jones, a teacher at the district's high school, after a two-day public hearing that examined allegations the teacher neglected classroom duties, failed to protect students and engaged in conduct the district said undermined student safety.

The superintendent recommended Jones's discharge after an internal investigation that, the district said, found repeated problems in a dual-credit classroom including students leaving during class, reports of vaping, and statements from students that they were instructed to pretend to work during administrator observations. The district also cited union-related emails that Jones sent during school hours as grounds for review of his conduct.

The board heard testimony from district staff and teachers and from Jones's witnesses. Assistant Superintendent Montano (HR) described the investigation and told the hearing that investigators interviewed students and staff and that student statements raised safety and supervision concerns. Jonathan Gutierrez, the school's college-and-career counselor, and Valerie Scott, a science teacher and former health-pathway lead, testified about student complaints and about how the district organized the dual-credit program. Jones testified in his own defense and said he supplemented weak college material, ran frequent student conferences, and had tried to improve attendance and outcomes, arguing the course lacked adequate structure and administrative support.

Jones told the board he gave students 'mini-lessons', tracked progress and redesigned assignments to increase rigor, and that his class achieved an 82% pass rate in one term. The hearing record includes testimony from a counselor that students reported being allowed to leave the classroom and that some students had repeatedly sought help. Jones acknowledged mistakes in handling attendance and discipline and said he had taken steps to change procedures and record-keeping in the second semester.

District counsel argued the investigation disclosed conduct beyond performance: the district presented student statements and investigative summaries indicating vaping, students leaving campus during class time without supervision, and students being instructed to misrepresent their activity during administrator visits. The district said those findings, together with Jones's sending union-related emails during instructional time after a prior warning, supported discharge for misconduct.

Jones and his representatives said the central problem was program design and support. They told the board the health-pathway dual-credit course had been newly expanded to include all seniors in the pathway and that the college instructor offered little structure; they said that left on-site staff to create supplemental curriculum and troubleshoot attendance and grading issues. Jones and witnesses asked that he be treated as a performance case (with remediation and coaching) rather than as misconduct, and that his union-representative rights and contract protections be respected.

After closing statements, the board recessed to deliberate in executive session and returned to vote to uphold the superintendent's decision to discharge Jones. The public record shows the motion passed; the board announced the outcome at the end of the hearing.

The board and the district did not release additional personnel records as part of the hearing. The district said it relied on its internal investigation and on student and staff interviews in reaching the superintendent's recommendation. Jones and his attorneys said they would pursue available contractual and legal remedies.

The case highlights tensions that surfaced throughout the hearing: the line between poor performance (which commonly leads to documented remediation plans) and misconduct (which can justify discipline or dismissal), the obligations of on-site staff when a dual-credit program is implemented quickly, and how a district documents safety and supervision concerns. The board's decision ends the local administrative process for this discharge; the teacher and union representatives said they would consider next steps.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Uphold superintendent's decision to discharge Sawyer Mason Jones.
- Outcome: Approved (board roll call recorded multiple "yes" votes; public roll-call lines in the hearing record show board members voting to approve the motion).

Ending

The board entered its formal finding and ended the hearing after the roll call. The parties left open the possibility of follow-up actions by Jones or by the union under contractual or statutory processes.