Parents and community leaders demand action after racist incidents at Redlands schools

REDLANDS, Calif. — Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Juan Cabral issued a statement Wednesday condemning recent racist incidents involving students and pledging stronger intervention, staff accountability and districtwide training to address discrimination.

In the March 12, 2025 statement sent to district families and staff, Cabral acknowledged the seriousness of the reports and reassured the community that the district is taking action.

“These reports are deeply troubling, and we want to reassure our students, staff, and community members that we take these matters very seriously,” Cabral said. “As a district, we unequivocally condemn all forms of hate, discrimination and racism.”

Cabral’s statement comes after a contentious school board meeting Tuesday night, where parents, community leaders and civil rights advocates publicly condemned racist incidents at Mariposa and Crafton Elementary schools and demanded stronger action.

Among those who spoke were Channing and Daphne Hawkins, parents of a Mariposa Elementary student who was targeted in three racist incidents over a 90-day period.

“We come before you tonight not just as parents, but as advocates for justice—not just for our children, but for every child who walks through the doors of Redlands Unified School District,” Daphne Hawkins said during the meeting.

She described three disturbing incidents involving her son, including:

• A note handed to him that read, “Your skin is as black as your future.”
• A classmate telling him, “You should be in a comedy show because you look like a Black African monkey.”
• A class assignment that included “Black Pete”, a widely condemned Blackface caricature from Dutch and Belgian holiday traditions.

“Our children deserve better,” she said. “And let’s be clear—these are not just words. These are attacks on our children’s dignity and their identity.”

Daphne and her husband, Channing Hawkins, criticized the district for failing to follow through on promises to bring a resolution on racism to the board’s agenda.

Channing said his family moved to Redlands believing it would be a safe and welcoming community.

“We thought our neighborhood was safe. We thought the community was safe, and our kids would have a better opportunity in life,” he said. “We didn’t realize we would get this here—having third-graders draw Black-faced characters.” 

Channing also questioned how long such behavior had been occurring and whether it was only coming to light "because we're one of the rare Black families."

The family said they were denied the opportunity to speak directly with the parents of the students involved.

Separate incident reported at Crafton Elementary

During the same meeting, two mothers with students at Crafton Elementary described separate incidents of racial discrimination involving their children.

Heather Jackson recounted an incident from last spring when her 7-year-old daughter was excited to perform at an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) recital. However, during the performance, her friend told her they couldn’t be partners and that she needed to stand in the back because others would make fun of her for being Black.

“She was sad, and I was confused,” Jackson said.

When Jackson brought the issue to the principal, she said he seemed unprepared to address her daughter's feelings or take meaningful action—highlighting a need for training and intervention in such situations.

After speaking with the other child's mother, Anna, Jackson learned that the girl’s actions were influenced by her own fears.

Anna revealed that her older son had been repeatedly targeted with racial slurs at the school—including being called “African monkey” and “Chinese monkey”—since his first day in first grade. The bullying had continued for three years, leaving a profound impact on him and his family.

“She was afraid to be targeted like her brother simply because of her skin color,” Anna said.

The women, who now consider each other friends, called on Redlands Unified School District to take action to ensure a safer, more inclusive environment for all students.

“Drawing upon Maslow's theory of needs, it's evident that these experiences have significantly impacted not only [my son], but also his family,” Anna said as her speaking time expired. “It is with a deep and solemn hope that I urge Redlands Unified School District, which prides itself on excellence, to respond.”

Public comments during the meeting were limited to 1.5 minutes per speaker, half the usual time allotted. The clock was not reset when Jackson and Anna switched speakers, further shortening their time.

School District responds, pledges action

In a statement on Wednesday, Cabral noted that when district officials became aware of the incidents, they took “prompt actions” to hold individuals accountable and implement schoolwide training for students and staff. He said the district is continuing to investigate and respond according to established protocols.

The district has also introduced a resource guide developed by the Multilingual and Family Engagement Department to assist students and staff in navigating concerns related to discrimination and bias. Cabral encouraged anyone who experiences or witnesses acts of discrimination to report them through the district’s complaint process or anonymously through Sprigeo.

“Redlands Unified School District is dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming educational environment for all students and staff,” he said.

During the meeting, Cabral personally addressed the community’s concerns, calling the incidents “totally unacceptable” and outlining immediate actions taken by the district.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that any of our teachers would choose Black Pete to be any part of any kind of activity in the classroom,” Cabral said. “And it is something that was addressed immediately by the principal when she was made aware.”

Cabral explained that the school's principal addressed the first two incidents but once he was told about the third incident, the district took action, including meeting with the Hawkins family and implementing student interventions.

“We immediately went into the classroom the very next day to speak to that class specifically in order to teach the kids that it's not OK,” he said.

He also announced a two-week intervention plan at Mariposa Elementary, to speak with all students and staff. 

Cabral noted that these actions are not enough. 

He also said that districtwide incidents have led them to develop "equity teams" at each campus. Noting that some teams are more effective than others. Cabral acknowledged that more needs to be done and emphasized the role of district leadership in addressing racism and discrimination.

“The bottom line is that it's not OK for our kids to participate in any kind of hate speech or make each other feel in any way less than,” he said. “And we're going to do everything we can to continue to teach them that it's not OK and that they need to act better.”

Cabral also responded directly to the new allegations at Crafton Elementary that surfaced during the meeting.

“Tonight, I'm hearing incidents over at Crafton,” he said. “I've made note of that. You're going to be hearing from my office because that’s not OK.”

School Board, Community Leaders Speak Out

All school board members condemned the incidents, with several expressing their commitment to ensuring that such behavior is not tolerated within the district.

Community leaders also spoke in support of the Hawkins family and other affected students.

• Maria Whitaker-Saucedo, chairwoman of the Common Vision Coalition of Redlands and wife of Mayor Mario Saucedo, called on the district to hold those responsible accountable. “This is something no child should endure or be subjected to,” she said. 
• Joseph Williams, trustee for the San Bernardino Community College District, said, “There’s a pattern of hate that is poison in our schools. And to be clear, as an education policymaker, this is not a DEI issue. It's not an equity issue. This is your most basic responsibility."
• Dr. David Morrow, president of 100 Black Men of the Inland Empire, warned board members, “We’ll be back and we’ll keep coming back until something changes.”
• Dr. Carolyn Murray, education chair for the NAACP branch 1059, urged the district to address anti-Blackness and bullying.

Williams also called on the district to implement mandatory, zero-tolerance anti-racism training for all students and staff.

The families and their supporters have demanded that the district take immediate steps to address racial discrimination and prevent future incidents.

The district has not released any further details about disciplinary actions or additional policy changes.

The letter from the Superintendent on March 12, 2025 can be viewed below:

The full board meeting is available to view here.