Board pulls parent notification policy pending state review, delays vote on revised library book rules and approves flag ban amid emotional public debate.
Policy limits displays to U.S., California, and military flags, with narrow exceptions
Board split 3-2 as members call for definitions, rubric, and compromise approach
Policy aimed at expanding parent notifications pulled after California Attorney General begins review; scrutiny tied to Redlands Unified’s federal consent judgment.
REDLANDS, Calif. — Redlands Unified School District trustees pulled a proposed parent notification policy from Tuesday night’s agenda after the California Attorney General’s Office began reviewing the policy, along with related nondiscrimination regulations, Superintendent Juan Cabral said during the meeting.
District spokesperson Christine Stephens later confirmed that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is conducting the review due to the district’s existing obligations under a Department of Justice (DOJ) stipulated judgment.
“Because RUSD is under the DOJ stipulated judgment, the Office of the Attorney General monitors the District’s compliance with all state and federal laws as it specifically relates to the judgment,” Stephens wrote in an email to Community Forward Redlands. “The District reached out to the OAG to make certain AR/BP 5010 are not in conflict with current District administrative regulation or board policy.”
“In an abundance of precaution, the board opted to pull the proposals pending feedback from the OAG,” she said, adding there is currently no deadline for the review process.
The draft policy would have required school staff to notify parents about a range of student-related matters, including changes to school records, extracurricular participation, and mental health concerns.
A related administrative regulation included an opt-in clause for notifications related to changes in student records—a provision some viewed as an attempt to comply with California’s SAFETY Act (AB 1955), which bans “forced outing” of students based on gender identity. Critics have argued that such policies still risk creating a chilling effect for LGBTQ+ youth.
The board’s decision to pull the policy came amid another marathon meeting that drew hundreds of public comment cards and ran into the early hours of July 9.
Trustees delayed a final vote on proposed revision to the library book review process but voted 3–2 to approve a new policy restricting flag displays on campus. Heated debate among board members and from the public culminated in the room being cleared after tensions flared during the comment period.
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