About the Entry

After a lengthy solo battle to obtain Portland Public Schools’ records related to teacher discipline matters, reporter Bethany Barnes uncovers a paper trail of questionable actions by district administrators that allowed a troubled teacher to stay on the job despite multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

• Benefit of the doubt: How Portland Public Schools helped an educator evade sexual misconduct allegations
• Portland Public Schools still needs to fix its broken system
• Portland school board members demand action after Oregonian reveals botched treatment of sexual misconduct
• Portland Public Schools paid $11,000 legal bill to keep incriminating public records secret
• New email shows Portland Public Schools principal labeled sexual misconduct complain ‘rumor’

Entry Credit

• Bethany Barnes, Journalist, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Comments From the Judges

“ Hundreds of girls in Portland were placed in danger for decades … because of a system set up to protect (one educator). The fight to shine the light on these records and this story should be required reading for education reporter.”

“Exceptional work, particularly for someone who was new to the beat and didn’t have years of sources to fall back on. (The series) shows, yet again, the power of strong local reporting to expose wrongs and hopefully demand better in the future.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 FINALISTS