Local Reporting Network Archive

Washington State Launches Investigation of Private Special Education Schools

The inquiry and a sweeping reform bill follow a Seattle Times and ProPublica investigation that found allegations of abuse, overuse of isolation rooms and pressure to skimp on staffing and resources at the Northwest School of Innovative Learning.

Watchdog Seeks Harsher Penalties in Wake of Abuse at Illinois Mental Health Center

The official cited investigations into a center for people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, where workers lied or conspired to thwart patient abuse inquiries.

Inside the Controversial Sales Practices of the Nation’s Biggest Title Lender

Former TitleMax store managers told ProPublica and The Current about how they were trained to keep customers unaware of the true costs of their title pawns. When they were more transparent, they faced repercussions.

A School Superintendent Says Our Story About Expulsions in His District Is Incorrect. Here’s Why He’s Wrong.

The New Mexico school district’s discipline data, reported to the state education department each year, contradicts the superintendent’s defense.

A Sheriff in Louisiana Has Been Destroying Records of Deputies’ Alleged Misconduct for Years

A lawsuit brought by the family of an autistic teen who died while in custody found the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office destroyed the disciplinary records of a deputy involved in the case.

The Fight of the Salmon People

Randy Settler’s family has spent generations fighting for their right to harvest salmon. But the federal government squandered its chance to recover the endangered fish before the onset of climate change. Now, Settler sees it all slipping away again.

Patients Went to This Isolated Facility for Treatment. Instead, Nearly Two Dozen Were Charged With Crimes.

For years, residents at the Illinois facility received scant treatment for their developmental disabilities and mental illnesses, then faced felonies for lashing out at staff.

Salmon People: A Native Fishing Family’s Fight to Preserve a Way of Life

This documentary film features the plight of the salmon of the Columbia River and the Native people whose lives revolve around them.

This School District Is Ground Zero for Harsh Discipline of Native Students in New Mexico

In Gallup-McKinley County Schools, wearing the wrong color shirt can get you written up for “gang-related activity.” Banging on a window is bullying. The district is responsible for most of New Mexico’s disproportionate expulsions of Native students.

How We Found the School District Responsible for Much of New Mexico’s Outsized Discipline of Native Students

New Mexico does not publish public school discipline data. When we looked at it, we found that Native American students in the state were disciplined more than their white peers.

Toxic Salmon Reporting “Deeply Troubling,” Lawmaker Says, Demanding Changes to Protect Pacific Northwest Tribal Health

Citing a ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation into toxic contamination in salmon, state and federal lawmakers across the Pacific Northwest are calling for policy changes and more funding but are lacking details on next steps.

Behind the Key Decision That Left Many Poor Homeowners Without Enough Money to Rebuild After Katrina

National politics spawned a Hurricane Katrina rebuilding program based on pre-storm home values, leading to disparities between rich and poor.

Washington State Proposes Reforms for Special Education Schools

Education officials cite Seattle Times/ProPublica investigation that showed state failed to address complaints about abuse, lack of academics.

An Exodus Unlike Any Other: Why Half the People in This Community Moved Away After Hurricane Katrina

After Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, many residents didn’t receive enough money from the state to rebuild. Nearly half made the difficult decision to start over somewhere else.

The Federal Program to Rebuild After Hurricane Katrina Shortchanged the Poor. New Data Proves It.

For years, low-income residents of New Orleans have said the state’s Road Home program paid them less to rebuild their homes compared to wealthier residents. They were right.

The Balancing Act of Reporting on Vulnerable Kids While Protecting Their Privacy

Journalists are often expected to identify their sources, but reporting on children presents a number of dilemmas, particularly when issues of mental health are involved.

Child Welfare Experts Say New Mexico Can’t Put Kids in Homeless Shelters Just Because It Lacks Other Beds

An experts’ report found that New Mexico’s child welfare system has housed foster kids in homeless shelters and other inappropriate settings, corroborating an investigation by ProPublica and Searchlight New Mexico.

How Title Lending Works

Title lenders in the U.S. often use predatory practices to trap customers in high-interest loans, ProPublica recently reported. This guide will help you understand how title lending works and what your options are if you’re stuck in a contract.

“Kids Seem to Be a Paycheck”: How a Billion-Dollar Corporation Exploits Washington’s Special Education System

Universal Health Services collected more than $38 million in tax dollars for special education services that families and former teachers say it largely didn’t provide.

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