Final summary ← All meetings

Board of Education — August 19, 2025

Redlands Unified adopted its rewritten library complaint regulation and a revised BP 6000 on second reading, six weeks after both failed and were restarted as first readings.

This is an AI-generated summary of the meeting · September 11, 2026. Linked sources to original documents are provided to assist with verification of summary content. Agenda Transcript Minutes

📋 August 19, 2025: the library complaint regulation came back for a second reading, and this time it passed

Board President Michele Rendler opened the meeting in open session at 4:00 p.m., and the board adjourned to closed session at 4:01 p.m. 1. It returned to open session at 5:52 p.m., and the regular meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. with all five members answering roll call 2. The meeting adjourned at 9:46 p.m. 3.

🔑 The short version

The board approved a revision of Administrative Regulation 1312.2 – Complaints Concerning Library or Media Center Materials, a revision of Exhibit 5145.71 – Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures, and a revision of Board Policy 6000 – Concepts And Roles, all on second reading 4. It also approved the business services consent block 5, the water polo travel item and out-of-state professional meetings 4, and two human resources items 6.

The minutes set the motions out item by item. For AR 1312.2 and for BP 6000 they print an individual roll call rather than a single recorded outcome; the other items in that section carry a single recorded outcome 4. This page does not reproduce vote composition — the minutes page above is where to read it.

Under community input for agendized items the minutes list 72 entries, one of which names two people; the list runs from page 2 2 to page 11 5. The later general comment period carries 25 entries 6 7.

📚 How AR 1312.2 and BP 6000 got here

This was not the board's first pass at either document, and the sequence matters.

On July 8, 2025 both were already before the board as second readings, and the minutes of that meeting record that the motion "was not carried" on the revision of AR 1312.2 and, separately, on the revision of BP 6000 8. The same night the board did adopt new Board Policy 6115: Ceremonies, Observances, and Flag Displays on second reading 8; the district's policy manual carries BP 6115 with an adoption and last-revision date of 07/08/2025 9.

Rather than bring the rejected text straight back, the district restarted the cycle. On August 5, 2025 the board approved a revision of AR 1312.2 as a first reading, and the minutes of that meeting spell out what changed: it was approved "with agreed upon language to remove the exact rubric and definitions as well as addition of language about the Principal notifying the Superintendent about a complaint and then the Superintendent notifying the Board in Section 1, #2" 10. Exhibit 5145.71 and BP 6000 were taken as first readings at the same meeting 10.

That put all three on the August 19 agenda as second readings, each listed with the note "See attached copy with revisions" 11. No agenda packet exists for this meeting in the archive, so those attached copies are not part of the record here. The board approved all three 4.

The policy manual now dates the last revision of AR 1312.2 and of BP 6000 to 08/19/2025, against original adoption dates of 02/14/1995 12 and 06/27/1995 13 — which matches this meeting and is consistent with the sequence above.

One discrepancy worth recording. The agenda and the minutes both call the regulation "Complaints Concerning Library or Media Center Materials" 4, the policy manual files it under the older title "Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials" 12, and the agenda's own policy tag gives a third form, "Complaints Concerning Instructional and/or Library Media Center Materials" 11. The district's records do not render the title the same way twice.

📖 What the adopted text actually says

The regulation as it now stands in the policy manual runs two tracks 12.

Section I covers ordinary complaints. A complaint goes to the principal on Exhibit 1312.2; the principal "shall contact the complainant within five business days and attempt to resolve the complaint" and "shall also inform the Superintendent who will inform the Board of Education" 12. If it is not resolved, a school evaluation committee of "at least five members" — the principal, a librarian from a different school site, a classroom teacher from the same grade level at a different site, and two non-employee community members — reviews the book using "a review rubric, rubric scorecard and definitions list" 12. During that review, "Questioned material should not be available for the student involved pending final decision", and "A decision shall be reached within three months of the original complaint date" 12.

Section II is the accelerated track, and it is the part speakers argued over. Where a complaint alleges "perceived pornography, erotica, graphic descriptions or depictions of sexual acts, and/or sexual violence, or sexually explicit materials," the principal decides whether it qualifies, and if it does, "the principal must remove the item from the school library and notify the Superintendent of the removal within three business days" 12. A district review committee then reviews the material, and a complainant who disagrees may appeal to the Board President, after which "The Board shall then hold a public hearing within forty-five calendar days to determine whether the material is appropriate for student use" 12.

BP 6000 carries the substantive standard. The revised policy states that the district's education program "shall not include pornography, erotica, graphic descriptions or depictions of sexual violence, inappropriate vulgarity or profanity, or other obscene material including material that is lewd or libelous", while adding that such determinations "often must be made case-by-case and in context" 13. The same policy still opens by recording that the Board "recognizes that within our pluralistic society, an educational institution has the obligation to promote cultural, racial and human sensitivity and understanding within the communities it serves" 13.

🗣️ Public comment on the agendized items

The room was full. On the recording the speaker count is given as "about 118" before the first comment period began 14, with the allotted time set at "one minute tonight" 15. The minutes list 72 entries.

Against the revisions. Nicholas Kittel told the board that AR 1312.2 "risks viewpoint-based censorship, immediate loss of access to materials, and legal challenges" 2. Pat Molnar argued that vagueness in the regulation creates problems and urged reliance on trained librarians to determine literary merit 2. Gina Porter called the removal criteria for perceived pornographic content subjective and pointed to existing selection standards, including the Miller v. California criteria, as sufficient safeguards 16. Eriko Grossman asked for disclosure of implementation costs and funding sources, noted potential overtime for principals and review committees, and urged compliance with Title IX 16. Rebekah Acosta questioned how the two policies save money while adding administrative steps, requested "a clear rubric and list of adopted curriculum materials with sexual content", and separately raised a Williams Act compliance concern about delayed textbook access and inaccessible technology for blind and visually impaired students 17. Michael Paisner said banning books based on race, gender identity or sexual orientation violates AB 1078, and told the board the policy's discriminatory intent "is documented in emails and social media posts by Ms. Olson and Ms. Wilson, who sought to prevent normalization of LGBTQ identities" 18. Chris Clautice said the revised policy lets any individual challenge books and extends the evaluation period, "resulting in temporary removal from shelves" 19. Patricia Wilson warned that a single community objection could restrict access for all students 19. Michael Grossman said the amendments would let any community member remove books from school libraries, "including acclaimed works such as Toni Morrison's 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel" 20.

Kate Applebee sits in a category of her own: she "expressed appreciation for revisions to AR 1312.2, noting the improvements but calling the revisions unnecessary", and asked for removal of question six on the complaint form and an adjustment to question eight 19 — a comment that only makes sense because the text had in fact changed between the readings.

For the revisions. Art Gomez raised explicit content in the book Push, available in two high school libraries, and urged a review of library books 2. Kevin OConnor, as the minutes print the name, spoke in favour of banning pornographic material under items 11B and 11D 21. Valerie Zavis described the regulation as "a review policy intended to keep inappropriate material out of students' hands rather than a book ban" 18. Doug Hauser said the policy is not a book ban because parents can still obtain books through retailers 22. Mike Morrell supported the board's efforts and emphasised classical literature, mathematics and science 22. Dale Broome — recorded as supporting "AB 1312.2", the minutes' own rendering of the item number — said the policy targets obscene content, not LGBTQ authors or themes 22. Gregory Brittain framed his support around the board's responsibility for educational materials and federal Title IX protections 20.

On the rest of the agenda. Mark Laird worked through the consent items one by one: support for the SGH Architects agreement, a request for detail on the Bryn Mawr portable classroom lease amendment, a request for a resource-allocation breakdown from the fourth quarter Williams report, advocacy for the water polo trip, and a request for clarification on the Title IX exhibit — which the minutes render as "Exhibit 514/571" — covering burden of proof, staff training and compliance with California law 23.

💬 The discussion before the votes

The minutes record the motions and the roll calls but not the debate 4. The recording carries a long exchange before the AR 1312.2 vote, and this page attaches no names to any of it: every speaker label in the RUSD transcript of this meeting is an automated voice match, which is evidence about audio and not a record of who spoke.

One speaker pressed for a spending limit — "I want to know how much money we're going to let this policy bleed" — and asked whether there is "like a cap, or are we just opening a vein here", then asked repeatedly where the option is "for parents who are well-informed on the materials to grant their own children access to these books" and, getting no reply, "Is this a discussion or am I talking by myself?" 24. Another answered the legal objection directly: "AB 1078 has to do with protected classes, and this is not what this policy is about", adding that AB 825 "relates specifically to public libraries in the community, not public school libraries" 25. A third said the new process "will be efficient and cost our district almost nothing" 26. A fourth said: "When we get sued, all of you who vote for this, it'll be on you" 27.

The BP 6000 discussion turned on whether the policy described a problem the district has. One speaker objected to being asked to "allow the narrative to spread around that we have pornography in our curriculum", calling it "a disservice to our teachers" 28; asked "So if we don't have it in our curriculum, why are we adopting a policy?" 29, the reply was "It's a preventative policy" 30.

⏱️ Speaking time, and three documents that disagree

Speaking time was a running complaint. Rebekah Acosta raised speaker time limits under BP 9323, "noting that short times hinder meaningful public input" 17, and in the later period Chris Clautice opposed the reduction of public comment time and said "the 45-second limit undermines community voices" 31.

The district's own documents do not agree on the baseline. Board Bylaw 9323 provides that "Individual speakers shall be allowed five minutes to address the Board on each agenda or nonagenda item", with the President able to increase or decrease that time with Board consent 32. The agenda for this meeting says the time "will not exceed three minutes" 33. The 2025-26 governance handbook also says three: "Under normal circumstances, individual speakers shall be allowed three minutes to address the Board on each agenda or non-agenda item. The Board President, with the consensus of the Board, may decrease or increase the time" 34. On the night the recording has one minute set for the first period 15; opening the second period, the recording gives the speaker count as 35 35, against the 25 entries the minutes list 6.

🗂️ Consent and contract business

The business services block was approved as a group 5. It carried an agreement with SGH Architects, Inc. for architectural and engineering services on the Middle School Safety Projects and the Disaster Recovery Project at Citrus Valley High School, "at a cost of $4,175,375.00, plus reimbursables", funded by Local Construction Funds (Measure D) 5; the agenda adds that SGH was selected through competitive Request for Proposals process RFP No. 26-25 and that the safety work encompasses "all four middle school sites" 36. Also in the block: Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 25.26.0172 with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, removing Bryn Mawr Elementary School from the Portable Classroom Lease Agreement 5; Change Order No. 1 with Rite-Way Roof Corporation for $20,315.90 at Crafton Elementary 5 and $8,363.60 at Kimberly Elementary 4; and the Fourth Quarterly Williams Report for the 2024-25 school year, dated July 31, 2025 4.

Educational services also approved travel for 13 members of the Redlands East Valley High School Boys Varsity Water Polo Team to the Santa Barbara invitational, September 4 to 6, 2025, and attendance at out-of-state professional meetings 4. On that second item the board was told during discussion that the funding is the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant and that it would send 19 employees to a PLCs at Work institute in San Antonio, with school leadership teams expected to train colleagues on their return 37. Human resources items — professional growth stipends for classified contract personnel for 2024-2025, and revised salary placements and assignments for management team personnel — were approved together 6.

In closed session the board approved the Superintendent's recommendation to appoint Douglas Covey as Facilities Project Manager under Business Services, effective August 20, 2025, at Step 2 of the Management Team Salary schedule 1, reported out in open session 2.

🎤 The second comment period

The later comment period turned largely to board conduct and to Trustee Candy Olson's social media activity 6.

Eriko Grossman raised concerns about Olson's conduct at meetings and her associations, arguing it "is unsafe and undermines policy integrity" 6.
Trisha Keeling presented "a petition with 725 signatures titled 'Our School Board Should Work for Us, Not Silence Us'" and said community concerns were being ignored 6.
Aaron Fernando called for Olson's resignation over offensive social media posts and said similar conduct by any trustee would warrant the same 6.
Peter Michael Hall defended Olson, "claiming her only fault was not privatizing social media", urged her to sue Together for Redlands for defamation, and urged the board to pursue counter-litigation if sued 6.
Michael Paisner highlighted incidents of Nazi symbolism and salutes at meetings and connected them to Holocaust history and the normalisation of hate 6.
Samantha Trad said Together for Redlands represents over 4,000 community members, submitted the 725-signature petition, and warned of legal action, citing FOIA requests and a "room full of plaintiffs" 31.
Matt Applebee cited harassment, slurs and inappropriate recordings at recent meetings, said he lacked confidence in President Rendler's ability to manage meetings safely, and asked the board to consider a vote of no confidence 31.
Kate Applebee reported that three unidentified men were soliciting students with Bibles at a nearby intersection and asked the board to work with the City of Redlands on a policy prohibiting it 31.
Michael Grossman described Olson's shares as racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic and urged her to resign 31.
Bea Hamilton cited a Facebook post alleging "pagan satanic altars" and "demonic possession of children" and urged Olson's removal from the board 31.
Mark Laird spoke about gender-affirming care, emphasising that schools are not equipped to provide medical procedures but support students through use of preferred names and pronouns 31.
John Berry congratulated board members for their resilience amid public criticism, raised potential defamation against Olson over doctored social media, and urged legal action for damages 7.
Deborah McFatter raised concerns over religious influence in board decisions and emphasised the separation of church and state 7.

This page names these speakers because the adopted minutes name them. It does not name anyone the minutes leave anonymous, and it does not use the recording to identify anyone.

📕 What the board's own handbook says about this

The district's 2025-26 Board of Education Governance Handbook describes itself as "a comprehensive template intended to serve as a starting point" and "not a legal document", one the district "must consult with its legal counsel to review, revise, and formally adopt" 38. With that caveat, it sets a standard squarely on the point several speakers raised. Its code of conduct reads: "Professionalism: I will model the civility and professionalism I expect from all RUSD staff and students in person and online" 39. It also asks that "When speaking to community groups, members of the public, or the media, individual board members shall recognize that their statements may be perceived as reflecting the views and positions of the Board" 40. The board took no action on any of this at this meeting: the governance item in closed session was the superintendent evaluation 41, and the minutes record that no action was taken on it 1.

🏫 Reports and closing comments

Patty Holohan reported that 57 medical assistant students completed summer clinicals at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Redlands Community Hospital and other sites, and noted the renovation of an aviation classroom to accommodate a new flight simulator 5. In her closing comments she described campus visits, praised facilities staff, and highlighted the upcoming opening of REV Stadium 7.
Melissa Ayala-Quintero highlighted the importance of community partnerships for CRY-ROP in preparing students for high-demand careers, and listed ways residents can take part 5. In her closing comments she "clarified that banned books, including titles like To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, and Animal Farm, will remain available", and apologised to the community for the time it had spent advocating 7.
Candy Olson "expressed satisfaction with the passage of the new book challenge policy after nearly three years", and spoke about reading literacy, math intervention and graduation rates 7.
Michele Rendler described first-day visits to Smiley, Citrus Valley and Redlands High School, thanked Dr. Angle for inclusion in monthly CRY-ROP meetings and tours, asked Superintendent Cabral for an update on Braille materials for special education students, and congratulated Doug Covey on his new role 7.
Jeannette Wilson described attending back-to-school mornings and praised staff and principals for their work preparing schools 7.
Superintendent Juan Cabral told the board a Measure D presentation would come to the September 9 meeting 5. In his closing comments he acknowledged a community member for holding the district accountable, described a letter sent to staff on student safety and anti-bullying, and said the new policy "complies with the law by not targeting protected groups or specific textbooks", encouraging the community to hold the district accountable during implementation 3.

📰 Coverage

Community Forward Redlands reported the adoption two days later and counted 72 speakers on the agenda items 42. Redlands Community News covered it the following week, opening on "a choir of 'Shame' and 'USA' chants" in a packed chamber 43. The social media dispute that dominated the second comment period had been building for weeks: NBC News covered it on August 8 44, and KVCR reported on August 13 that calls for the trustee's resignation were mounting and that she had said she had no plans to resign 45. Those outlets carry their own facts on their own authority; none of them is the record of what happened in this room.

This page is an independent summary of Redlands Unified School District's own records, produced by a community accountability archive. It is not an official district document and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the district. Where the official minutes do not establish who said something, this page describes it without a name.

Sources