The Sioux City School District superintendent who was placed on leave within months of being hired in 2025 was reportedly sexually harassing female district employees, who were frustrated that school officials were not taking concerted action to rein that in.
That was the finding of an in depth Sioux City Journal report on April 4, which used Freedom of Information searches of school documents and interviews to publicly air the behavior of Superintendent Juan Cordova before he resigned in early 2026.
The Journal used anonymous sources from employees working in the administrative building where Cordova worked, to piece together the extent of his unwanted advances to at least eight women.
Some of the women also said their concerns on Cordova’s behavior were not sufficiently addressed by the Sioux City School Board.
One of the women said the harassment and lack of focus by Cordova on actual work resulted in an environment in which it was very difficult to work.
On Monday afternoon, Cordova did not immediately return a request for comment from Siouxland Public Media News.
Cordova had been an administrator for the Hazelwood School District in Missouri, and his work for the Sioux City School District began on July 1.
However, Cordova’s time as superintendent was short and controversial. He was placed on a leave of absence in August, then again in November.
Many people in the community have been seeking clarity on how Cordova had performed over his half year, and why the administrative leaves took place.
In September, former Sioux City School Board member Monique Scarlett spoke in the public forum segment as a board meeting began: “ Whatever is going on, I think the public should be made aware just a little bit more, while preserving the privacy of the individual," Scarlett said.
In a school board meeting in the first week of January, the board members unanimously accepted Cordova’s resignation, which was effective in late March.
Taking away the leave of absences and paid time after he resigned, Cordova worked roughly 50 days for the Sioux City District.
School Board President Jan George shared the following statement in January: "This mutual decision follows Dr. Cordova’s licensing issues and professional differences between Dr. Cordova and the Board with regard to standards for its Superintendent.”
