The Redlands school board is taking a second look at two policies, one to ban most flags and a second to make it easier to remove explicit books from library shelves.
The discussion went into the night Tuesday, July 8, as more than 300 people signed up to speak at the meeting. A line of people waiting to get inside wrapped around the Redlands Unified School District building. Every seat was filled, and those outside gathered around a TV screen livestreaming the session.
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Just after 10 p.m., tension in the board room hit a boiling point after a speaker was accused of using aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ language during her comments.
Members of the audience said the board had previously kicked out speakers who were against the policies for using profanity, but allowed this speaker to stay because she agreed with the board majority.
There were more than 4 1/2 hours of comments, drawing emotional testimonies from numerous speakers just as occurred at previous meetings. On June 24, the board discussed and voted to move forward with the policies, bringing them back for a final vote Tuesday.
The two policies were the subject of a March workshop, but the flag policy was introduced in January.
That policy would remove from campuses all flags other than the United States, California and military flags. The rules state that the board’s goal “is to maintain a patriotic, safe, appropriate and welcoming environment.”
The policy also states that events must align with district goals without “without emphasizing or endorsing particular political, social or religious beliefs.”
The board had two policies regarding reading materials on the Tuesday night agenda. The first addressed library materials and the second sought to change the requirements for classroom materials.
Under the library policy, if a book is “perceived” as sexually explicit by a member of the public, it would be removed within three days and be subject to a school board hearing within 45 days.
The classroom policy is similar to the library policy and would ban materials that are considered “pervasive pornography, erotica, graphic descriptions or depictions of sexual violence, inappropriate vulgarity or profanity, or other obscene material including material that is lewd or libelous.”
The policy also stipulates that the materials are age appropriate, and related to the course.
Critics of the policies say the school board is ignoring most residents who are against these policies and is more focused on culture wars than fiscal responsibility.
“You vote against the majority of the Redlands community after they voice their concerns meeting after meeting,” said Peter Cain, a Spanish teacher at Redlands High School. “… You are betraying our community.”
Those who favor the policies said it they would protect children and keep classrooms neutral.
Douglas Hauser said it was “pretty simple, pretty straightforward” that all students should be safe and included in classrooms and that they don’t need a flag.
Hauser said his “side” was concerned about the “way things were being described” and that it was not OK for students to be exposed to pornography.
Foes say the policies are copies of those found in other districts. Similar policies have been approved by other Southern California school boards and led to those districts ending up in court.
The Temecula school board OK’d a similar flag policy in 2023, but revoked it in December after a California Public Employment Relations Board ruling found that implementing the policy violated the state Educational Employment Relations Act.
In June 2023, the Chino Valley Unified School Board passed a flag policy and later that year approved a proposal to make it easier to get books with sexually explicit material off shelves.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
