Redlands Unified releases videos for students to help prevent sexual harassment – San Bernardino Sun

Redlands Unified has released a series of Title IX training videos for students. The videos are available at the district office for parent review for two days starting Monday afternoon, March 17, before student training is to take place next month, according to the district.

The videos, which are also online, are part of annual training the district must provide on sexual harassment for students, parents, and staff, one of the directives from the California Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights following an investigation into sex-abuse cases in the district.

“These lessons aim to foster a safe and equitable learning environment by increasing awareness, promoting respectful interactions, and ensuring that all students feel comfortable at school and can succeed,” a Friday, March 14, email from the district says.

A two-year investigation started in 2018 by the Southern California News Group found the school district, for decades, frequently failed to report to authorities those teachers and other employees accused of grooming and sexually abusing students. The investigation also revealed that, in some cases, school district officials thwarted police investigations of sexual abuse cases.

Since 2016, the district has paid out more than $41.3 million to settle sexual abuse lawsuits against the district and former teachers, several of whom have been convicted and sentenced to jail or prison.

A federal probe following the investigation found that in 74% of the 35 incidents involving complaints of sexual assault or harassment against students, reviewed by the Office of Civil Rights 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 on targeted students where necessary and to prevent recurrence of the harassment,” according to a 20-page letter from the OCR to the district sent in April 2024.

Title IX is 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 early May 2024, the district entered into an agreement with the Office of Civil Rights to fix the districts response to Title IX violations and ensure compliance through its Title IX coordinator and revise, as necessary, its policies and procedures, among other things.

Later that month the California Department of Justice also announced it had entered into a stipulated judgment and resolution agreement with the district following a 19-month civil rights investigation. The department said it would monitor how the district handles allegations and reports of sexual harassment and abuse for at least the next five years.

The district has not admitted to any Title IX violations but has agreed to the stipulations of both agreements.

The videos, released Friday, March 14, are curated by grade and age group to explain and prevent sexual harassment show how sexual harassment can be prevented to students from preschool through high school. The videos will be available in both English and Spanish.

For elementary school the videos introduce the idea of body autonomy through short cartoons with simple explanations of what could be considered personal space and that students shouldn’t be touched without permission.

For older students there are videos with fellow students explaining the definitions of Title IX and the laws behind it.