D.C. Council Bills Seek to Address Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy

A bill from Mayor Bowser directs the attorney general to file criminal charges in cases where a student misses 25 days of school.

When Taniya Bowling was a freshman in high school, she regularly missed class because she had to take care of her baby sister while her mom was working. She was considered truant, or absent from school without a valid excuse for 10 days. At 14 years old, Bowling struggled to keep up with her schoolwork…

by Lizzy Rager

Should American University Police Carry Guns?

Universities in the District—and across the country—face tension between student desires for de-policing and campus fears of mass shootings

Less than 24 hours after five people were shot at Morgan State University last October, Sophia Joseph received an email that troubled her. Her own school, American University, had alerted students that it was weighing new safety measures following the shooting at the Morgan campus, less than two hours away in Baltimore. One consideration was…

by Ben Baker

Council Hearing Exposes Gaps in the John Falcicchio Investigations

The mayor’s lawyers said they’ve had Falcicchio’s cell phone since he resigned but haven’t bothered to look through it.

The more the public has learned about the investigations into John Falcicchio’s sexual harassment of women, the more inadequate those efforts appear.  The latest example came during Wednesday’s Council hearing on the scandal that has cost the city more than $1 million (so far) and sent Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top aide packing. Councilmembers and witnesses…

by Alex Koma

D.C. Property Management Company’s Pattern of Neglect Leads to Squalid, Unsafe Conditions and Displacement, Tenants Say

Former property manager for banished slumlord Sanford Capital, Daniel Crosby, now runs his own company. Tenants in buildings managed by Scope Property Management complain of inhumane living conditions while the government pays millions in housing subsidies.

This story was supported with funds from Spotlight DC—Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism. Photos by Darrow Montgomery “The water was as high as my knees and taller than my baby,” Morsell says.  Although she was accustomed to delays in repairs from Scope Property Management, which was responsible for the building’s upkeep, she was hopeful that…

by Suzie Amanuel

AG Brian Schwalb’s Criminal Investigation of John Falcicchio Has Touched Off a Turf War Over Documents

The AG is demanding materials from some of the other agencies that investigated the former mayoral aide’s sexual harassment scandal.

Nothing has been easy or simple about the investigations into the sexual harassment allegations against John Falcicchio, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s probe of potential criminal charges is no exception. Loose Lips hears that a messy turf war has broken out among the various entities to examine the scandal embroiling Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former right-hand…

by Alex Koma

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.