Some parents and students are outraged, accusing the Redlands Unified School District of covering up the sexual abuse allegations.
At the Redlands Unified School District board meeting on Tuesday night, parents and students questioned school administrators about multiple allegations of sexual abuse dating back decades.
Parents are reacting to a CBS documentary accusing the district of covering up multiple sexual abuse allegations.
Lawyers for the family of a young girl who was allegedly sexually harassed on the Carter School campus in Rialto announced Friday they would file charges against those responsible.
The investigation found that 50 students filed sexual abuse complaints against more than two dozen teachers between 1999 and 2022.
Nine teachers have been arrested, including former teacher Laura Whitehurst, who was convicted after having a baby with a 16-year-old high school student.
“She was the daughter of a district administrator and there were several reports that they did nothing,” said Morgan Stewart, an attorney for the victims.
“What we see in Redlands is trustees and board members turning a blind eye, letting things go, protecting teachers and allowing students to be abused again and again.”
The school district released a statement Wednesday saying in part that “tragically, no district can guarantee that inappropriate action between staff and students will never occur.”
And that in 2018 and 2022, the district implemented several protocols to improve student safety, including hiring a special consultant who closely reviews school policies.
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Some say the district continues to fail, including a mother who read a statement from her daughter saying a 50-year-old teacher started harassing her a year ago.
After reporting him, his mother says they still haven’t heard from the investigation.
Other parents of alleged victims also accuse the district of protecting staff at the expense of students.
Dr. Jorge Partida explains why victims of sexual harassment take so long to report or talk about it, where to seek help, and what to do if they are abused.
“Children should be able to come to school and feel safe; they shouldn’t worry about being abused,” said Tina Goh, a mother.
Over the past ten years, the district has paid more than $40 million to 25 victims, but the district has not admitted guilt in any of the cases.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click on here to read this story in English.