Merced County school officials endorsed Chubon as ‘person of extreme character’
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Investigation into ex-Modesto principal
Former Roosevelt Junior High School Principal Brian Chubon was convicted of crimes against a minor.
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CORRECTION: The story has been updated to correctly list the felony charge Chubon was convicted of based on a court transcript of his plea deal.
Gustine Unified School District Superintendent Bryan Ballenger and Gustine High School Principal Adam Cano both wrote letters of recommendation for Brian Chubon that were submitted to Modesto City Schools when he applied to be vice principal of Mark Twain Junior High School in 2022.
The Modesto Bee acquired the letters through California’s Public Records Act as a part of its investigation into Chubon.
“He is also very hardworking, intelligent, and a person of extreme character. Mr. Chubon always puts students first and makes sure his decisions are a direct relationship to what is best for students,” Ballenger wrote.
Chubon was convicted of felony charge of statutory rape of a minor, to which he pleaded no contest. The crimes occurred while he was vice principal of Gustine High School in 2022.
GUSD officials did not respond to calls for comment in time for publication.
The 17-year-old student came forward in February 2024 to report the abuse to the Gustine Police Department, and charges were filed against Chubon in November 2024.
On Jan. 14, he was convicted. In a phone call with The Modesto Bee, Chubon said only, “I’m not guilty of anything.”
His letters of recommendation from Ballenger and Cano date back to February 2022, during the time period in which Chubon committed crimes against a minor. The abuse occurred from January through June 2022.
Sometime in spring 2022, about two years before law enforcement was notified, GUSD investigated Chubon for having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The investigation came after Marisol Juarez, the district’s HR specialist and Title IX coordinator, reported that Chubon and the victim “left to the office together at a school event during the spring of 2022,” according to the criminal complaint. The results of the school district’s investigation remain unknown. It is also not currently known whether the letters were sent before or after the investigation.
According to the criminal complaint, Chubon was also a chaperone for prom and the senior spring trip in 2022, though whether he was a chaperone before, during or after the investigation remains uncertain.
The district’s investigation was not disclosed to Modesto City Schools despite Chubon remaining employed with Gustine Unified through the 2021-22 school year. He started with MCS in July 2022 as assistant principal at Mark Twain Junior High School. Chubon became principal of Roosevelt in July 2025 and no longer is employed with the district.
“If they had reached out to us, we would have answered their questions,” Ballenger said in a previous statement to The Bee. Modesto City Schools records show it also asked GUSD if Chubon ever was investigated. GUSD said “no,” according to MCS spokesperson Sharokina Shams. It is not yet known whether the district answered “no” to the question of whether Chubon was subject to an investigation prior to, during or after its internal investigation.
Anyone impacted by Chubon who wants to speak with The Modesto Bee may email aiyer@modbee.com or reach out via Signal to 209-385-2409.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 4:13 PM.
