By Alexander J. Schorr
June 13, 2026— The San Diego County Civil Grand Jury has concluded that the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) governing board used “falsehoods and misrepresentations” to cancel its long-standing mental health services contract. The jury released a report on June 1, 2026 which found that the board’s conduct was “alarming” among other descriptions.
The conservative majority board of trustees vote of 3-1 against renewing its contract with San Diego Youth Services (SDYS) and relied on inaccurate public comments claiming the provider was pushing transgender medical transitions onto students. This sparked public backlash, as ECM reported. The grand jury also confirmed that the specialized LGBTQ+ (“Our Safe Place”) was completely separate and not a part of the services SDYS provide GUHSD schools, with school-based care strictly being limited to mental health, bullying, and suicide prevention.
Since the contract was terminated before the start of the school year, the district was ultimately left without a designated mental health provider and suicide prevention program for four months. The grand jury ruled that the action by the board was detrimental, capricious, and failed to serve the community’s best interests.
SDYS is a multi-service non-profit organization established in 1970 that empowers vulnerable, homeless, and runaway youth in San Diego County for the purpose of self-sufficiency. For immediate help or a referral, you can call or text (619) 241-0608 (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
Grossmont Education Association (GEA) President Elect Stephanie Macceca, and former librarian at Valhalla High School, emphasized the need for greater care in mental health services for the youth at school campuses. “The findings in the grand jury’s report validated the pain we all have felt because of the board’s actions — this was unacceptable on the trustee’s part. We have been four months without support.”
The GEA President Elect went on to say that SDYS is ultimately vital for students and the youth struggling with mental health, bullying, and vulnerability to homelessness.
“Due to this rejection by the board, [the students] have been stigmatized to the point where [they] did not feel welcomed at school campuses. Youth services have been a credit for two decades, and I hope they restore these services because the youth depend on them,” Macceca said.
The grand jury’s ruling follows scrutiny over the board trustees Gary Woods, Jim Kelly and Robert Shield, who voted to cut the contract, which consists of multiple lawsuits from former employees alleging an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, discrimination, and Brown Act violations pertaining to backroom decision making.
The district has a 90-day window since the ruling to formally respond to the grand jury’s specific findings and recommendations including changes to comply with the state education code, the district’s own policies, and ethics standards.
SDYS will continue operating its core community programs while advocating for students, as the watchdog’s group’s report recommends that GUHSD renew partnership with the nonprofit. Though the nonprofit is not directly taking punitive action, it still remains focused on delivering Juvenile Delinquency Diversion and Intervention and other community-based behavioral health services.
This is not the first time the Grand Jury has issued a report critical of the GUHSD board. In 2013, the Grand Jury issued a reported titled “Fool Us Once, Fool Us Twice,” slamming the board for failing to build an Alpine high school despite voters twice approving bond measures that promised among other things to fund building a high school for Alpine, as ECM reported. The GUHSD trustees defied the Grand Jury, refusing to implement its recommendations.
Three of the trustees who blocked funding for an Alpine school and who voted to defy the Grand Jury in 2023 are still on the board today: trustees Woods, Kelly and Shield.