The new lessons and survey follow a federal investigation into Redlands Unified’s handling of sexual misconduct — and come amid nationwide cuts to civil rights enforcement.
Redlands Unified launch Title IX educational videos, survey in April
The new lessons and survey follow a federal investigation into Redlands Unified’s handling of sexual misconduct — and come amid nationwide cuts to civil rights enforcement.
REDLANDS, Calif. — Redlands Unified School District will begin administering Title IX educational video lessons and a follow-up climate survey to students this spring, in response to federal directives aimed at improving how the district addresses sex-based harassment.
Why it matters: The lessons, scheduled to be delivered in classrooms between April 14 and April 25, are part of a resolution agreement the district entered into with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) following a multi-year investigation.
Details: The educational video lessons will be shown to students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Only students in grades 3 through 12 will be asked to complete the survey. Counselors will be present during the video lessons and available for student support afterward.
“The initiative is designed to promote a safe, respectful, and equitable learning environment by raising student awareness and preventing harassment,” according to a letter sent to families this month.
Parents and guardians who do not wish for their children to participate must complete opt-out forms through the Aeries Parent Portal by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 4. Students whose families do not opt out will automatically participate.
Background: The district announced the resolution agreement on April 25, 2024, after the OCR concluded a four-year compliance review that uncovered multiple Title IX violations. The review found that Redlands Unified had failed to adequately respond to reports of sexual misconduct between 2017 and 2020.
Among the findings, the OCR determined that the district had no system to monitor Title IX compliance or identify patterns in harassment allegations. In about 75% of the reviewed cases, there was no evidence that the district took action to address the impact on students or prevent future incidents.
Investigators also found that reports of both student-to-student and employee-to-student sexual assault were often not properly investigated, leaving affected students vulnerable.
In July 2024, the Redlands Unified Board of Education unanimously approved Dr. Rudy Wilson as the new Assistant Superintendent of Compliance as part of the resolution agreement.
Zoom out: These policies come at a time when the federal infrastructure meant to enforce student civil rights is undergoing significant cuts. The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the San Francisco office of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights — which oversaw California cases — has closed.
While the Redlands Unified case has been resolved and the district currently has no open OCR cases, approximately 1,500 cases remain pending in California, according to the Times.
Catherine Lhamon, who led the OCR under Presidents Obama and Biden, told reporters that “many millions of students will now not enjoy the civil rights protections that Congress has guaranteed them.”
Newly appointed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said that despite the cuts, essential and legally required duties would continue to be carried out.
Resources: The district has made the video lessons and survey materials available in English for all grades and in Spanish for grades TK through 5. They can be reviewed at the District Title IX Educational Videos and Survey site, or at the links below:
