Attorney General Bonta Announces Stipulated Judgment with the Redlands Unified School District to Implement Wide-Ranging Reforms, Strengthen Response to Complaints of Sexual Assault, Abuse, and Harassment

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered into a proposed stipulated judgment with the Redlands Unified School District (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 is the result of a comprehensive civil rights investigation into the District’s handling of these complaints. The investigation followed concerning reports raised in a number of high-profile cases involving sexual abuse of minor students by the District’s personnel, several of whom have been convicted of related offenses.  

DOJ’s investigation found that the District systemically violated laws in place to protect against and address complaints related to sexual assault, harassment, and abuse, including Title IX, the Child Abuse and Neglect and Reporting Act (CANRA), and provisions of the California Education Code. As part of the stipulated judgment, the District is permanently enjoined against violation of these laws, is subject to a minimum of five years of oversight by the court and Attorney General and is required to undertake wide-ranging reforms to ensure that the District responds in a legally adequate manner to promptly prevent, stop, and remedy sexual harassment, assault, or abuse 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, where they should be free to learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment. California law guarantees each and every child the right to a public education free from sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, and today's stipulated judgment holds Redlands Unified accountable for failing to abide by the laws in place to protect our kids. We are committed to working with Redlands Unified as they take these crucial and necessary steps to expediently institute wide-ranging reforms to better protect students. At the California Department of Justice, we're committed to protecting all Californians, especially our most vulnerable, from sexual harassment, assault, and abuse."  

“The Redlands Unified School District commends the Department of Justice for their thorough review and collaborative efforts in finalizing this agreement,” said Juan Cabral, Redlands Unified School District Superintendent. “The District is fully committed to complying with the terms of the judgment. We take the findings seriously and are dedicated to making necessary improvements to ensure a safe and equitable learning environment for all students and staff as this continues to be our number one priority. We are actively working with the Department of Justice to implement the agreed-upon measures, as well as continue the many safety practices the District implemented prior to this agreement. We are optimistic about the positive changes these efforts will bring to our students, staff and community.”

The settlement is the result of a DOJ investigation, which was expanded in October 2022, to determine whether the District’s policies and practices follow laws that protect students from sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. DOJ found systemic deficiencies in the District’s efforts to prevent and respond to notice and allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students participating in its educational programs and activities.

Specifically, that the District has failed to follow laws and regulations that require it to:

• Designate, provide appropriate oversight authority to, and train a compliance coordinator and/or Title IX Coordinator responsible for ensuring the District’s compliance with laws and regulations related to preventing and responding to notice and allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students, and ensure that the Title IX Coordinator and/or compliance coordinator carries out their duties.
• Respond in a legally adequate manner to notice or allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students.
• Promulgate legally adequate procedures and policies governing the District’s response to notice and allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students.
• Properly disseminate and post its notice of nondiscrimination and written policy on sexual harassment.

To address the systemic concerns, DOJ and the District worked cooperatively on an extensive five-year plan memorialized in a stipulated judgment that enjoins the District from violating any law or regulation and requires the District to, among other things:

• Hire, train, and provide appropriate oversight authority to an Assistant Superintendent of Compliance and Sexual Harassment Prevention to investigate and resolve complaints and establish prevention systems.
• Develop an electronic centralized tracking and response system/database for all oral and written reports and complaints of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, including those submitted anonymously. 
• Provide DOJ all oral and written complaints regarding sexual harassment, assault, and abuse and the District’s responses to all oral and written complaints for DOJ to review to ensure legal compliance.
• Revise policies and procedures for responding to notice or complaints of sexual harassment, assault, or abuse to comply with law and regulation.
• Provide compensatory education and mental health services to victims.
• 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.
• Provide annual training to staff and investigators regarding their duties to address reports of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. 
• Provide an anonymous Climate Survey at the end of each academic semester to assess students’ experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and abuse and use the results to further strengthen prevention and response.
• 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 recommendations to the District for improving those efforts.
• Provide timely proof of compliance with all provisions of the judgment to DOJ to establish compliance.
• Provide DOJ with an affirmation from all District administrators, including the Superintendent, that they understand and will follow the requirements of CANRA.
• Implement an auditing process at schools to ensure that all required notices, policies, and posters informing students and staff about their rights and responsibilities are in all required locations.

A copy of the stipulated judgment is available here. A copy of the complaint filed with the court is available here.