Staff Reports
For over a year and a half, Gallup-McKinley County Schools and a former high school teacher have been locked in a legal battle that began with an email.
In early January 2025, Sawyer Masonjones officially took office as president of the McKinley County Federation of United School Employees union. Shortly after, then-Miyamura High School Principal Nick Garro noticed Masonjones sending an email regarding union business during his contract hours—time he should have spent teaching. Garro alerted then-GMCS Superintendent Mike Hyatt, who issued a letter of reprimand to Masonjones Jan. 17, 2025.
However, what started as a single reprimand quickly escalated into a full-scale district investigation into Masonjones’ behavior. The district placed Masonjones on unpaid leave Jan. 22, 2025, and scheduled a formal discharge hearing before the school board. The hearing was split into two meetings, with one taking place in May 2025 and the other in June 2025.
THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MASONJONES
Beyond the union email, the district expanded its charges to include widespread classroom misconduct, arguing that Masonjones’ actions directly harmed student learning.
During the district hearings, GMCS officials laid out a long list of allegations. They accused Masonjones of failing to record class attendance consistently, neglecting to report student vaping, and poorly monitoring the E-Hall Pass system—allowing students to wander the halls and skip class.
The district further alleged that Masonjones checked his personal phone and email during class, used profanity, and failed to engage students or provide proper support for his dual-credit health course.
However, the dispute didn’t end with the school board’s decision to fire Masonjones. Supported by the New Mexico branch of the American Federation of Teachers, Masonjones appealed the termination, taking GMCS to binding arbitration to determine whether the district had “just cause” under the New Mexico School Personnel Act.
On Aug. 15, the independent arbitrator published his final decision.
The arbitrator ruled that the district successfully proved Masonjones committed misconduct. Specifically, Masonjones knowingly continued sending union emails during contract hours after explicit orders to stop, and he exhibited poor classroom oversight.
However, the arbitrator also found that the district failed to prove its most severe claims. GMCS didn’t establish that Masonjones acted with “moral turpitude” or lacked the fundamental capacity to teach. The arbitrator also rejected claims that Masonjones intentionally covered windows or locked doors to deceive administrators during evaluations, noting that the district failed to prove he completely abandoned his teaching duties or provided zero supplemental work.
While acknowledging that Masonjones made mistakes warranting discipline, the arbitrator ultimately ruled that firing him was a disproportionate punishment. He highlighted three key mitigating factors that favored the teacher:
- A Strong Prior Record: Masonjones maintained positive performance evaluations and held no active disciplinary record prior to this case (the district had previously rescinded an initial letter of reprimand).
- Program Challenges: The district placed Masonjones in a brand-new dual-credit program featuring a challenging student cohort, unclear course coordination with the University of New Mexico-Gallup, and inadequate administrative support.
- Lack of Progressive Discipline: Masonjones’ classroom management issues were correctable through monitoring, a growth plan, or progressive discipline—tools the district completely bypassed.
Because the district failed to establish just cause for termination, the arbitrator officially reversed the Board of Education’s discharge order.
The arbitrator ordered GMCS to immediately reinstate Masonjones, restore his full seniority and benefits, and reimburse all lost back pay dating back to his initial suspension. Additionally, the arbitrator ordered GMCS to pay all arbitration fees and expenses.
The ruling drew strong reactions from all sides.
AFT NM President Whitney Holland issued a statement backing the decision.
“AFT New Mexico will always support educators in pursuing their passion for education by fighting for due process and fairness, and that was at the heart of this dispute,” she said. “GMCS incorrectly discharged Mr. Masonjones without due process, access to corrective measures, or opportunity for professional development. Coupled with Mr. Masonjones’ lack of disciplinary history and favorable teaching evaluations, we agree with the arbitrator’s conclusion that discharge was ‘disproportionate.’”
Masonjones expressed relief over the outcome.
He also shared his belief that the district target him for his union leadership.
“I believe my investigation and termination were directly tied to becoming the local union President of [MCFUSE],” he said. “With the arbitrator’s ruling, my hope is that GMCS will now work with us as educators and as MCFUSE so we can bring the best education possible to our students and that GMCS will end its harmful practices against staff.”
Meanwhile, GMCS officials expressed deep disappointment with the ruling.
“We disagree with the arbitrator’s conclusion that the District overreacted, or that the discharge was a disproportionate response to the conduct proven,” The district stated in a public Facebook post. “We further disagree with the conclusion that a district must put on direct student testimony to demonstrate that its students have not been provided with the instruction, supervision, and safety they deserve.”
GMCS stated that it will not accept a diminished standard for student safety and classroom accountability, adding that it is currently reviewing the decision with legal counsel to pursue any remaining legal remedies under the New Mexico School Personnel Act.
The full decision can be viewed online at https://www.gmcs.org/.
