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Seattle Times’ Investigative Reporting

I have been consistently impressed with The Seattle Times’ investigative reporting series “Your Courts, Their Secrets.” In the series, they are opening up all sorts of Washington Court cases that were improperly (ie, illegally) sealed from the public record. What they have turned up ranges from simply disappointing tales on human nature to shocking scandals that have been meticulously covered up. The most recent article is much more the latter, accusing one of the more highly regarded school districts in the State of gross negligence over a sexually abusive elementary school teacher, who was allowed to continue teaching despite repeated warnings from many parents, students, and co-workers.

The fallout has been swift and immediate. The Northshore school district, where the incident happened, immediately responded, as did the Issaquah school district, where a key administrator accused of negligence in the article now works. The administrator also responded.

Isn’t it amazing how fast government employeez act when it is their own feet to the fire? On the other hand, when you need a field trip permission form, or permission to use the school for an educational purpose, it takes weeks if not months of forewarning to get approval. I know from firsthand experience having done such things as both a student and as a mentor for the Titan Robotics Club.

Keep up the good work, Seattle Times.

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