Parents are encouraged to email the San Bernardino County panel about what they know
The
San Bernardino County Grand Jury is soliciting information from parents of
Redlands Unified School District students about concerns involving “suspected
inappropriate contact” between students and staff.
In
an announcement Tuesday, the grand jury requested that parents email their
replies to RUSD@gi.sbcounty.gov by June 7.
Administrators
in the grand jury office would not comment Tuesday on the nature of the probe
and whether it was prompted by a yearlong investigation by the Southern
California News Group into a sex abuse scandal at the district spanning more
than a decade.
The
SCNG investigation revealed, among other things, that the school district
failed to notify police in some cases where students alleged sexual abuse or
grooming behaviors by teachers. The district also thwarted criminal
investigations of teachers suspected of sexual abuse, destroyed evidence and
ordered teachers and other staff not to cooperate with police in criminal
investigations.
Redlands
Unified paid out more than $30.2 million to settle sex abuse lawsuits with
former students during the SCNG investigation, which prompted sweeping reforms
at the school district. Those reforms included implementation of the Act Now
initiative to enhance student safety and a six-page policy requiring school
resource officers at every high school, handbooks for all employees on mandated
reporting, and additional school counselors to focus on the “socioemotional”
health of students.
For
further information or comments, visit the grand jury website at
wp.sbcounty.gov/grandjury Or, call the grand jury assistant at 909-387-9120.
San
Bernardino Sun
By JOE NELSON | jnelson@scng.com
May 18, 2021 at
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