Federal review slams California school district’s failures to address sexual abuse complaints by students [Video]

The Redlands Unified School District has entered into an agreement with the federal government to address concerns that the district failed to respond properly to reports of sexual misconduct against students, including by employees, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced Thursday, April 25.

Among a litany of violations detailed by the Office for Civil Rights are claims that Redlands Unified failed to create or maintain sufficient records of its responses to sexual harassment complaints to demonstrate compliance with Title IX, a federal law enacted in 1972 that protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

In 74% of the 35 incidents reviewed involving complaints of sexual assault or harassment against students from 2017 to 2020, Redlands Unified did not provide any evidence that the district took action required under Title IX to “address the effects of harassing conduct …