Parents within the Redlands Unified School District are calling for transparency and accountability following a CBS News investigation that revealed allegations of sexual abuse and a cover-up by school administrators.
At a recent board meeting attended by concerned parents, it was revealed that child sex abuse allegations dating back to 1999 had been dismissed by teachers and administrators, who also failed to report the allegations to authorities. The report also uncovered cases where students were pressured to move to other schools or districts to avoid further abuse.
One former student shared her experience, saying, “One of the PE teachers made comments about how my shorts fit me, how they’re too short or too tight…” Another parent came forward and reported that her son had been sexually abused on the school bus, but that the school did nothing about it and instead advised her to remove her son from the school.
The district has stated that it has implemented several measures since 2016 to prevent sexual abuse, including mandatory training for identifying child grooming behavior, new student-adult policies, and additional student counselors. However, some parents are calling for more concrete action to be taken.
Despite being a relatively small school district, with just over 20,000 students and 25 campuses, more than 25 teachers have been accused of sexual misconduct by 50 students since 1999. Just last year, two cases were reported and 11 were investigated by local police, leading to the arrest of 9 teachers.
The parents and community members within the Redlands Unified School District continue to demand answers and action from school officials in order to protect their children and ensure that justice is served.
