Who investigates the Sheriff? In Mississippi, often no one. (New York Times)
State authorities are responsible for investigating shootings and in-custody deaths involving sheriffs and deputies. But they are not obligated to investigate other potential wrongdoing by sheriffs’ offices, and may not even know about it: The sheriffs’ offices are also not obligated to report incidents to them.
What happens if a school doesn’t comply with Title IX? Not a whole lot. (USA TODAY)
Schools accused of violating Title IX – which bans sex discrimination across all aspects of education, including athletics and sexual harassment – have little to fear from the Office for Civil Rights; they can openly defy the agency, withhold records and fail to heed agreements with impunity, a USA TODAY investigation found.
Part of a year-long investigation Title IX: Falling short at 50
A USA TODAY analysis found that 110 schools would need to add a total of 11,501 female roster spots to close the participation gap. That’s an average of 104 per school – roughly the size of a football team and enough to add three or four women’s teams each.
Part of a year-long investigation Title IX: Falling short at 50
Across the nation, state lawmakers supporting transgender athlete bans have painted a picture that girls sports teams will be overrun by athletes with insurmountable physical advantages. But a USA TODAY investigation of the lobbying effort shows that narrative has been built on vague examples that have been overstated or are untrue, and lawmakers have accepted them as fact with little effort to verify their accuracy.
‘They think workers are like dogs.’ How pork plant execs sacrificed safety for profits. (USA TODAY)
From city hall to the White House, officials let Triumph Foods stay open as hundreds of workers got coronavirus. Four died.
A top San Jose State University athletic trainer accused of sexual misconduct toward more than a dozen female athletes a decade ago is being reinvestigated after an initial university probe quietly cleared him of wrongdoing.
Following our reporting, the athletic trainer and university president both resigned. A state probe found him responsible of sexual misconduct and a Department of Justice investigation concluded the school violated Title IX in its response. He has since been charged by the FBI and pleaded not guilty.
The NFL says addressing domestic violence is a priority, but a USA TODAY investigation found issues in backgrounds of coaches that teams hired.
Police across the nation have touted sex spa stings for years as evidence that they are cracking down on rampant human trafficking. But a USA TODAY review of three high-profile raids found that law enforcement’s tough-on-trafficking rhetoric fizzled after initial headlines.
Was your child’s coach banned for sexual misconduct? Better check. (USA TODAY)
A half-dozen coaches banned for sexual misconduct were still active in their sport, USA TODAY reporters found. Three of them were working at events or facilities affiliated with the national sports governing bodies that are supposed to be enforcing the bans.
Lopez brothers, Olympic taekwondo royalty, hit with sex abuse allegations (USA TODAY)
Steven and Jean Lopez, brothers in what is often called the “First Family of Taekwondo,” were allowed to participate in last summer’s Rio Games even though they were being investigated for sexual misconduct.
Did Penn State really face the death penalty? (USA TODAY)
The university accepted harsh NCAA sanctions in 2012 to avert a potential shutdown of its football program, but a USA TODAY Sports investigation finds NCAA President Mark Emmert didn’t have the support.
Florida’s Sharrif Floyd adopted by family that gave him benefits (USA TODAY)
Sharrif Floyd was suspended for two games in 2011 after receiving benefits from a businessman who had mentored him, so Kevin Lahn adopted the Florida defensive tackle. Is it a loophole or love or both?
Condemned football field house endangered students (Wilmington StarNews)
For nearly 18 months, New Hanover High School athletes using the Jap Davis Field House were in danger. A botched construction job and disregard for county building regulations led to the 64-year-old building being condemned. Following a Star-News investigation, New Hanover County Schools allocated $756,000 and renovated the building.