U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Sexual Harassment Compliance Review of Redlands Unified School District in California

APRIL 25, 2024

Summary of OCR’s Findings and Compliance Concerns After a careful review of the documentary and witness evidence, OCR found the following eight violations of Title IX under its former regulatory requirements during the Review Period:

1. The District failed to address the effects of known sexual harassment on the targeted student or to take action to prevent further harassment, including retaliatory harassment.

2. The District failed to promptly and effectively investigate all reports of possible sexual harassment of which it had notice.

3. The District failed to provide adequate notice of investigation outcomes to targeted students and their parents who made complaints of sexual harassment.

4. The District did not offer or implement interim measures to support targeted students who reported sexual harassment.

5. The District systemically failed to coordinate its response to sexual harassment, including sexual assault, through its designated Title IX Coordinator.

6. The District failed to notify the school community of the Title IX Coordinator and how to file complaints with the Title IX Coordinator by posting inconsistent information about the person the District designated to coordinate Title IX. 7. The District failed to adopt and publish equitable grievance procedures to address student-to-student sexual harassment during the Review Period.

8. The District failed to apply prompt and equitable grievance procedures to complaints of employee-to-student sexual harassment during the Review Period.

For violations 7 and 8 above, OCR also determined that the District’s notice regarding its Title IX Coordinator and the grievance procedures it applies to complaints of employee-to-student sexual harassment do not comply with the 2020 Regulations based on OCR’s review of the current notice and procedures. After a careful review of the documentary and witness evidence, OCR found two additional violations under the 2020 Regulations that occurred after the Review Period:

9. The District failed to explain to complainants the process for filing a formal Title IX complaint of sexual harassment whenever a District employee has actual notice of sexual harassment, as required by 34 C.F.R. § 106.44(a).

10. The District failed to adequately train the Title IX Coordinator with regard to the requirements of the 2020 Amendments to the Title IX regulations, including the definition of sexual harassment, or the District’s revised sexual harassment policies, as required by 34 C.F.R. § 106.45(b)(1)(iii).