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Minorities face tough discipline
Melissa Jenco of the Daily Herald analyzed Illinois education data to show that “racial disparities in discipline are not just a suburban trend. Statewide, during the 2002-03 school year, the expulsion and suspension rate for black students was three times higher than for white students. There were similar disparities for Latino students, too.”
Read MoreMany school bus drivers have bad records
Cynthia Kopkowski of The Palm Beach Post, with assistance from William M. Hartnett and researchers Krista Pegnetter and Angelica Cortez, reviewed school bus accident data and motor vehicle records for 130 drivers to find that “nine drivers have been charged with crimes within the past 10 years or within several years of being hired. One…
Read MoreSchool police accused of profiling
David Tarrant and Paula Lavigne of The Dallas Morning News investigated allegations of racial profiling by campus police at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, finding that “police search minorities more often than Anglos after traffic stops.” In addition, there have been complaints about pedestrian stops, which campus police do not keep…
Read MoreMore firefighters being disciplined
Jason Kandel of the Los Angeles Daily News used documents obtained under a California Public Records Act to show that 13 Los Angeles city firefighters were disciplined for inappropriate behavior last year and nine others remain under investigation. “Last year, seven firefighters were disciplined for horseplay or hazing; two for creating a hostile work environment;…
Read MoreMeth crisis moves to Mexico
Steve Suo of The Oregonian investigates America’s methamphetamine crisis, now rooted in Mexico, where drug cartels are illicitly obtaining tons of pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient needed to make the potent stimulant. “Mexico’s imports of the cold medicine have vaulted from 66 tons to 224 tons in the past five years, customs records show. That’s roughly…
Read MoreVoucher system shows benefits, failures after 15 years
Alan J. Borsuk, Sarah Carr and Leonard Sykes Jr. of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigate 15 years of vouchers in Milwaukee in a seven-part series. They found that “…56% of the students enrolled at Catholic elementary schools in the city of Milwaukee participate in choice.” They also discovered that it’s tougher to assess the quality…
Read MoreCongressman’s sale of home to contractor questioned
Marcus Stern of the San Diego Union-Tribune investigates a defense contractor’s relationship with U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and how the contractor “took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of the congressman’s Del Mar house while the congressman, a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was supporting the contractor’s efforts to get tens of…
Read MoreStreet gun dealers go to jail, while licensed dealers get a free pass
Susan Schulman, Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck of The Buffalo News uses public records to investigate gun dealers in a four-day series. The investigation found that while street gun dealers go to jail, licensed gun merchants get a free pass. “Gun shows are a prime source of crime weapons in many states…Despite those concerns, the…
Read MoreHispanic organization evolves into a political powerhouse
Mark J. Konkol, Scott Fornek, Fran Spielman and Art Golab of the Chicago Sun-Times used local payroll and voter registration data to show the clout of Chicago’s Hispanic Democratic Organization: “1,173 men and women are certified to register people to vote on HDO’s behalf. And 482 of those HDO deputy registrars — or 41 percent…
Read MoreSexual harassment claims inconsistent
Brad Schrade of the Tennessean asked state officials to provide documentation on their response to claims of sexual harassment, identified by Gov. Phil Bredesen as a problem. “When Bredesen’s office becomes involved in a complaint, as it did when the governor’s top lobbyist was demoted last month, notes are purposely not taken or are shredded,…
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