Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced today that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered into a proposed stipulated judgment with the Redlands Unified School District to address critical and systemic shortfalls in the District's policies and practices regarding their response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. The stipulated judgment follows a comprehensive civil rights investigation into the District’s handling of these complaints. This investigation was initiated after concerning reports emerged from several high-profile cases involving sexual abuse of minor students by District personnel, some of whom have been convicted.

The DOJ’s investigation found that the District systematically violated laws designed to protect against and address complaints related to sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. These laws include Title IX, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), and provisions of the California Education Code. As part of the stipulated judgment, the District is permanently enjoined from violating these laws, will be subject to at least five years of oversight by both the court and Attorney General, and is required to implement wide-ranging reforms to ensure legally adequate responses to prevent, stop, and remedy incidents on its campuses.

“As a parent, and as Attorney General, protecting our kids is my most important job,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It is absolutely unacceptable that any child should be put at risk of sexual harassment or abuse while at school... today's stipulated judgment holds Redlands Unified accountable for failing to abide by the laws in place to protect our kids.”

Juan Cabral, Superintendent of Redlands Unified School District, stated: “The Redlands Unified School District commends the Department of Justice for their thorough review... We take the findings seriously and are dedicated to making necessary improvements.”

The settlement results from a DOJ investigation expanded in October 2022. It aimed to determine whether the District’s policies complied with laws protecting students from sexual misconduct. The DOJ identified systemic deficiencies in preventing and responding to such allegations within educational programs.

Specifically, it was found that the District failed in several areas:

- Designating and training a compliance coordinator or Title IX Coordinator.

- Responding adequately to notices or allegations.

- Establishing appropriate procedures.

- Disseminating nondiscrimination notices effectively.

To address these issues comprehensively over five years:

- An Assistant Superintendent for Compliance will be hired.

- A centralized tracking system for all reports will be developed.

- All complaints will be reviewed by DOJ.

- Policies will be revised for legal compliance.

- Compensatory education and mental health services will be provided for victims.

- Annual training for students, parents, staff, and investigators will be implemented.

- An anonymous Climate Survey will assess student experiences each semester.

- A School Climate Advisory Committee will make recommendations for improvement.

- Proofs of compliance with all judgment provisions must be provided timely.

A copy of the proposed stipulated judgment can be accessed [here]. A copy of the complaint filed with the court is available [here].