Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlement with El Monte Union High School District to Address Handling of Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse Allegations

EL MONTE — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a proposed stipulated judgment with the El Monte Union High School (District) to address critical and systemic shortfalls in the District’s response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. Following a comprehensive investigation, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the District systemically violated laws and regulations in place to protect against and address these types of allegations and complaints, including the California Education Code and the Child Abuse and Neglect and Reporting Act. The stipulated judgment permanently enjoins the District from violating these and other anti-sexual assault laws, requires a minimum of four years of oversight by the court and Attorney General, and includes wide-ranging reforms to prevent, stop, and remedy sexual harassment, assault, or abuse on the District’s campuses.

“Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe and supportive school environment. Unfortunately, our investigation found that this has not always been the case for students enrolled in El Monte Union High School District,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Across multiple years, the District consistently mishandled students’ complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse by District employees and others. In doing so, it jeopardized the safety and well-being of its students and violated the community’s trust. Today’s settlement marks a beginning, not an end. I am hopeful that the District will move swiftly to implement the reforms required by this settlement, and my office will be monitoring closely to ensure its compliance.”

“At El Monte Union High School District, student safety and well-being remain our highest priorities,” said El Monte Union High School Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga. “This agreement reflects our continued commitment to strengthening systems that support safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments. Through enhanced protocols, increased transparency, and expanded training for staff, students, and families, we are reinforcing our responsibility to protect every student and ensure they feel supported, valued, and ready to learn.”

In August 2024, DOJ opened an investigation under Government Code section 11180, et seq. to determine whether the District had complied with laws and regulations related to its obligations to prevent and respond to allegations of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse of its students. DOJ’s investigation focused on the period of time between 2018 to the fall of 2025 and included the review of over 88,000 documents and 199,000 emails; interviews with 26 administrators, staff, former students, and other witnesses; and review of 113 complaints.

DOJ’s investigation found that the District had not complied with laws and regulations that require it to: (1) respond in a legally compliant manner to notice of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse of students; (2) develop, post, and disseminate a legally adequate notice of nondiscrimination; (3) promulgate legally adequate sexual harassment, assault, and abuse procedures and policies; (4) train and provide appropriate oversight to a Uniform Complaint Procedures Compliance Officer or Title IX Coordinator to handle, coordinate, and track complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse; and (5) adequately create, maintain, and retain records of complaints of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse. 

DOJ and the District worked cooperatively on an extensive four-year plan memorialized in a stipulated judgment that permanently enjoins the District from violating all laws and regulations related to sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, and, among other requirements, requires the District to:

• Designate a new Compliance Coordinator, approved by DOJ, to investigate and resolve all complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse.
• Create an electronic Centralized System for all oral and written complaints, along with any and all documents related to those complaints.
• Maintain a consolidated list of substitutes who will not be reappointed based on sustained findings of Boundary Policy violations or sexual harassment.
• Revise board policies and administrative regulations to ensure the District is in compliance with state and federal law.
• Provide DOJ with sexual harassment, assault, and abuse complaints and the District’s response to ensure legal compliance.
• Offer compensatory education and mental health services to complainants.
• Provide age-appropriate annual training to students and parents on how to report sexual assault, harassment, and abuse and their right to a prompt and effective response and a discrimination-free school environment and to staff on their duties to prevent and address reports of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse.
• Establish a School Climate Advisory Committee that will study the District’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, abuse, and assault and make additional recommendations to the District for improving those efforts. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to defending and upholding the civil rights of California students. In 2024, he secured a wide-ranging settlement with 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. More recently, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with the Sacramento City Unified School District to address unlawful enrollment policies and practices that unfairly disadvantaged certain student groups, such as foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness.

Here is a copy of the stipulated judgment. Here is a copy of the complaint, filed today in Los Angeles County Superior Court.