A fourth former Redlands High School student alleges in a new lawsuit that he was sexually abused by former teacher Laura Whitehurst beginning in 2007 and that administrators, counselors, and teachers failed to prevent or report it.
The suit, filed April 30 in San Bernardino Superior Court by Irvine law firm Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, alleges several violations, including sexual battery, negligent hiring and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Whitehurst, former Redlands High School Principal Christina Rivera and the Redlands Unified School District are named as defendants in the civil complaint seeking unspecified damages.
“The safety and well-being of every student in Redlands Unified School District is our highest priority,” the district said in a statement. “We are aware of the recently filed lawsuit regarding a case from 2013 and take these allegations very seriously. While we cannot comment on pending litigation or the specific claims being made, we remain committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for all students.”
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The suit alleges Whitehurst sexually abused the victim, who was 16 at the time, in 2007 and 2008 inside a Redlands High School classroom and off campus
Police reports allege complaints about Whitehurst molesting minors began soon after she was hired by Redlands Unified in 2006 and continued up to the time of her arrest in 2013. The disgraced teacher infamously gave birth to one of the students she had sexually abused.
Redlands Unified officials, including Rivera, were aware of allegations of Whitehurst’s sexual misconduct but took no action to prevent or report it as required by law, according to the suit.
A yearlong investigation by the Southern California News Group exposed a more than decade-long pattern at Redlands Unified of administrators failing to report to police or children’s services teachers who had a proclivity for grooming and sexually abusing students, including Whitehurst and former Redlands High School teacher and golf coach Kevin Patrick Kirkland.
That failure allowed teachers like Whitehurst and Kirkland to continue sexually abusing students for years.
“There is a good reason why Redlands Unified School District is the national poster child for sexual abuse of students,” Morgan Stewart, a partner with Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, said in a statement. “More than 20 teachers and administrators in RUSD have been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with their students over the last ten years. The district has spent millions on civil lawsuit settlements, and two students have committed suicide.”
At least 50 victims of sexual abuse within Redlands Unified have been identified, with some perpetrators abusing students for more than a decade, he added.
The Southern California News Group investigation led to the implementation of new policies, procedures and training at Redlands Unified in reporting suspected sexual abuse of students and establishing firm boundaries between staff and pupils.
“We continue to work with experts, families, and staff to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect our students and prevent harm,” the district said.
In Whitehurst’s seven-year career with Redlands Unified, teaching briefly at all of its high schools, she had a specific method of inviting male students, ages 14 to 18, into her classroom, where she would engage in sexual discussions. According to lawsuits, she had sex with them in the classroom as well as at her home.
Whitehurst pleaded guilty in 2013 to six felony counts of having sex with two Citrus Valley High School students and one Redlands High School student. She was sentenced to one year in jail, but was released on probation after serving only six months.
The former Citrus Valley High student who fathered a child with Whitehurst sued Redlands Unified and received a $6 million settlement in 2014.
A student, who was 14 when he had a sexual relationship with Whitehurst, settled his suit against Redlands Unified for $2.5 million in 2023. A third lawsuit from another student remains in litigation.
Stewart, whose firm specializes in representing victims of sexual abuse by teachers in public schools, described Whitehurst as one of the worst predators he has encountered.
“The district had complaints against her for years,” he said. “If they had acted in 2007 and removed her from the classroom, she never would have injured our clients and other children.”