When did Jason Manning become a principal? Modesto High School head and faculty on leave amid misconduct allegations

Modesto High School principal Jason Manning and another unnamed employee have been placed on paid administrative leave following allegations that they engaged in inappropriate conduct while on campus during working hours. Modesto City Schools confirmed on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, that an investigation into the situation is ongoing.

The district revealed that video posts alleging inappropriate behavior were posted on social media. One video included in the list was a three-second clip taken with a camera pointing into the window of a classroom.

Modesto High School under the limelight for staff misconduct on campus (image via Facebook/Modesto City Schools)

The school administration has investigated the content of the video, which has since been deemed irrelevant in the case.

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Modesto High School principal, who has been employed at the institution for more than a decade, is under investigation

The three-second video in question was first looked into as part of the allegations against the principal, Jason Manning, and his colleague, who remains unnamed.

According to The Modesto Bee, Jason Manning has been Modesto High School's principal since 2009, having served the school in that role for over 13 years. Prior to that, he was the school's associate principal of curriculum and instruction. No other information about him has been made public.

Furthermore, no information on the colleague involved in the misconduct allegations has been revealed. It is, however, known that the entity involved was a certificated employee. A certificated employee is one that is required by the state to hold some sort of teaching credential, which includes most administrative positions and part-time, full-time, and substitute teachers.

Principal Jason Manning (L) with other staff members of Modesto High (image via Facebook/Modesto City Schools)

A news release by the school district claimed that the video's validity is in question and proves to not be legitimate in the case. They said:

“We have been looking into the validity of a video shared on social media. Preliminary information indicates that the video may not be legitimate.”

Later, a representative from Modesto City Schools announced that the video has been taken out of consideration from the investigation, which will continue its course. They said:

"The district confirmed the video is not related to this matter. The investigation into the allegations is ongoing.”

The school has also confirmed that this was an isolated incident and that no students or other staff members were involved. What is yet to be revealed is when the event occurred and what exactly happened. Reports of "inappropriate conduct" have been mentioned, but no further details have been provided.

Modesto High School math and science building (image via Getty/mhs.com)

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While Modesto High School has shared minimal information regarding the situation, it has been reported that they will not comment further nor provide any more information as the investigations ensue.