DIGITAL WRITING
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​SUMMARY. A KING 5 investigation found a years-long pattern of child welfare workers dangling basic necessities as a way to get "hard to place" foster youth to follow orders. This is the first story in the investigative series, "After Hours: Fostering Chaos." ​​​
Read more about the full "After Hours" investigation, including results and recognition here. ​
ENOUGH: GEORGE FLOYD'S BIRACIAL COUSIN FINDS HER PLACE IN THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE​
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SUMMARY. This is a multimedia narrative about George Floyd's biracial cousin, Shayla Zartman, as she embarked on a journey to find her place in the world. Caught in the middle — never Black enough to be Black; never white enough to be white — some multiracial men and women live their whole lives without coming to terms with their identity. But Floyd’s killing would help Shayla discover hers.​​​​​​​​​
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View Taylor's full involvement as a reporter and photojournalist for this award-winning multiplatform project here. ​
CLALLAM COUNTY CORRECTIONS OFFICER KEPT HIS JOB FOR DECADES, DESPITE VIOLATIONS ​
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SUMMARY. John Russell Gray, a corrections officer who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four women while they were inmates at the Forks Correctional Facility in 2019, had a thick disciplinary record and at least two dozen complaints against him over his 24-year career as a corrections officer. Yet, officials at nearly every level repeatedly made decisions that allowed him to remain on the job as a guard, with power over a vulnerable population. This is the second story in the investigative series, "Predator On Guard." ​​​​​
Read more about the "Predator on Guard" investigation and its legislative impact here. ​
FOSTER TEEN'S VIOLENT ATTACK OF WASHINGTON SOCIAL WORKER HIGHLIGHTS LACK OF SAFETY SOLUTIONS​
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SUMMARY. As the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) looks for a long-term solution to serve high-needs children, workers say the agency fails to find even short-term solutions to keep them safe.
UNCUFFED: FORMER INMATE, COP FORM FRIENDSHIP AFTER ROCKY START​
SUMMARY. This is a multmedia narrative that follows a Washington state police officer and a former incarcerated woman for more than a year, documenting their unique friendship and the lessons learned from it. Officer Jenifer Eshom set out to teach a woman in prison how to live uncuffed. But the cop had her own lessons to learn​​.
View Taylor's full involvement as a reporter and photojournalist for this award-winning multimedia project here.
CAP ON FUNDING LEAVES WASHINGTON KIDS WITH DISABILITIES IN LIMBO ​
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SUMMARY. Noah Lopez-Legg had the right, under state and federal law, to be in kindergarten with a free education tailored to his special needs. Instead, the 6-year-old boy with autism fell victim to an underfunded and outdated state special education system that ultimately put his educational future in limbo. This is the first story in the investigative series, "Back of the Class."
Read more about the Peabody Award-winning "Back of the Class" investigation and results here. ​
'IT FELT DIRTY:' $60 MILLION IN WASHINGTON JAIL LEGAL CLAIMS WHILE OVERSIGHT REMAINS ABSENT​
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SUMMARY. Washington taxpayers have shouldered more than $60 million over the past five years to resolve and defend hundreds of legal claims involving inmates in local jails, a KING investigation found. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have repeatedly rejected legislation that would establish oversight for these facilities.
EXEMPTIONS FOR SALE: HOW A CENTRAL WASHINGTON DOCTOR HELPED WORKERS DODGE VACCINE MANDATE​
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SUMMARY. A KING 5 investigation found an Ellensburg doctor repeatedly signed and sold mask and COVID vaccine exemptions to residents across Washington state, in some cases with no questions asked. The doctor wrote exemptions for patients who did not provide a legitimate medical reason to receive one, including people who sought to evade local and state pandemic-related mandates. This is the first story in the investigative series, "COVID Exemptions for a Price."
Read more about the "COVID Exemptions for a Price" investigation and its impact here. ​
WASHINGTON SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS DISCIPLINED MORE THAN TWICE AS OFTEN AS GENERAL EDUCATION PEERS ​
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SUMMARY. Yakima School District officials kicked Austin Dillinger out of school for more than 100 days in middle school. They labeled the teen, who has autism and other disabilities, as a trouble maker. But medical professionals say that Austin didn't choose to break the rules. He's one of thousands of Washington students with special needs who are repeatedly punished in school for behaviors directly caused by their disabilities. This is the seventh story in the investigative series, "Back of the Class." ​
Read more about the Peabody Award-winning "Back of the Class" investigation and results here. ​
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SUMMARY. A KING 5 investigation found in multiple jails across Washington state, low-level nurses who lack the qualifications and legal authority to assess patients are making pivotal medical decisions about inmates. Government, medical and federal court records claim the practice has led to life-altering injuries and unnecessary inmate deaths. This is the first story in the investigative series, "Jails without Justice."
AFTER YEARS OF PLEAS, CLEAN AIR AGENCY ORDERS KING COUNTY TO TEST LANDFILL AIR FOR ARSENIC ​
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SUMMARY. Air quality complaints rolled in for years from neighbors and workers at the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, which is under scrutiny for elevated levels of arsenic. In a historic move, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency ordered the King County Solid Waste Division to test the landfill for arsenic emissions in the air.
WHY WASHINGTON IS STRUGGLING TO STOP HOUSING FOSTER KIDS IN HOTELS ​
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SUMMARY. Grappling with a shortage of foster parents and intensive therapeutic homes, Washington child welfare leaders have for years promised and failed to curb the long standing practice of housing children in hotels and state offices, which increased steadily over seven years.
RECORDS SHOW THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HAD ROLE IN EARLY DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN OF OCEANGATE'S TITAN
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SUMMARY. The University of Washington, which previously denied involvement in the Titan submersible that imploded and killed five people on a deep-water plunge to the Titanic, had a role in the early stages of the vessel's development and its design. A review of hundreds of UW records revealed the school had a deeper relationship with OceanGate, the Everett company that manufactured the carbon-fiber sub, than it originally told the public in the wake of the Titan disaster. ​​​​​​​​​
UNSHACKLED: A PROSTITUTE'S JOURNEY TO FREEDOM ​
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SUMMARY. This narrative feature tells the powerful story of Jennifer Tucker's battle to escape the grip of prostitution, marked by abuse, manipulation and the search for self-worth.​​​​​​
View Taylor's full involvement as a reporter and photojournalist for this multimedia project here.