SDUSD police chief retires after nearly a dozen officers file harassment lawsuit – NBC 7 San Diego

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) announced Friday that district Police Chief Alfonso Contreras will retire. The timing comes amid an ongoing lawsuit filed last December by nearly a dozen officers against SDUSD Superintendent Lamont Jackson, the district Police Department and Police Chief Contreras.

In July 2023, the first allegations came to light when nine officers claimed they had been targeted and treated unfairly by Police Chief Contreras for years. Contreras, who has worked with the SDUSD Police Department for more than 30 years, became police chief in 2022. That’s when, according to the officers represented in the lawsuit, things began to change.

Among the changes was the formation of a group of about five or six officers called “The Club,” consisting of former Police Chief Contreras and his longtime girlfriend, Sergeant Jenifer Gruner.

The lawsuit details instances of favoritism and labor law violations, as well as retaliation against certain officers who did not follow the “club’s” rules. NBC 7 spoke with Jesus Montana in December of last year, the day the lawsuit was first announced.

“The district will not protect our employees, someone has to, and the eleven of us are stepping into action,” said Sergeant Montana.

Response of Lead Trial Counsel

A statement from John Gomez, the lead trial attorney representing the officers, said: “Our clients are pleased and relieved that Chief Contreras has decided to retire in light of the ongoing investigation initiated by our lawsuit. Dysfunction, favoritism and disunity have no place in a law enforcement agency, especially one that protects hundreds of thousands of children in city schools. With Contreras gone, our clients look forward to getting back to what matters most: protecting the students, teachers and staff of the San Diego Unified School District.”

NBC 7 has been reaching out to SDUSD for comment on the allegations and resulting lawsuit since August of last year. At the time, a district spokeswoman told us that the district does not comment on pending litigation and that all allegations received by the district are taken seriously.

In a memo obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune and sent to school police last Friday, Acting Police Chief Donald Braum wrote, in part: “The district would like to thank Police Chief Contreras for all of his efforts and contributions in providing a safe learning environment for our students, staff and community over the past 32 years.”

The lawsuit is still in its early stages. The prosecution and defense will meet with the judge in November 2025 to discuss how they plan to proceed with the case.

SDUSD POA President responds

Caleb Arnold, president of the San Diego Unified School District Police Department POA, responded to Contreras’ resignation with the following statement:

“With the retirement of Police Chief Alfonso Contreras now officially announced, the San Diego Unified School District Police Union is pleased to finally make progress in efforts to rebuild a department that has endured so much over the past two years.

We hope that the POA will play a significant role and influence in the hiring of the next police chief.

We again ask the district to listen to its officials and value our opinion as these are very important decisions that will affect the future of the department. We hope our requests do not fall on deaf ears as they have in the past.

It’s time to heal this department.”

Neither the SDUSD police union nor the officers’ attorney could immediately be reached for comment on Police Chief Contreras’ resignation.