Former Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Mauricio Arellano addresses attendees at a workshop at Cope Middle School to teach parents and community members how to prevent child sexual abuse by recognizing grooming behaviors employed by sexual predators, April 6, 2022.
Convicted Redlands teacher Laura Whitehurst sits in court as she is sentenced Wednesday, August 28, 2013, after pleading guilty to sleeping with students and having one student’s baby.
SCNG’s investigation revealed that, in some cases, Redlands Unified officials thwarted police investigations of sexual abuse cases. Earlier this month, Stewart’s firm announced it had settled another sexual abuse lawsuit against the district, this one against former Clement Middle School teacher Timothy Rocester, who allegedly “sexually harassed, assaulted, and abused” the female victim in 2003, when she was in the seventh grade, Stewart said.
Based on the OCR’s review of documents and interviews with witnesses, it determined Redlands Unified: Did not offer or implement interim measures to support targeted students who reported sexual harassment.. Did not provide adequate notice of investigation outcomes to targeted students or their parents who complained of sexual harassment by staff and fellow pupils.