Was His Former Teacher a Sexual Predator? This Reporter Had to Find Out.

For senior investigative reporter Matt Drange of Business Insider, this was a reporting assignment like no other: investigating his former high school journalism teacher on allegations of sexual misconduct.

He spent more than three years reporting the story, pulling back the curtain on more than two decades of questionable behavior by the accused teacher as well as evidence that school officials sought to dodge accountability.

How did the story land on Drange’s radar, nearly 15 years after he graduated? What was it like reporting such a high-stakes story that was also deeply personal? How did Drange build trust with former female students who say they were groomed for sexual relationships by the popular and charismatic teacher?

And what advice does veteran journalist Drange have for education reporters navigating the tricky waters of FERPA and education records requests?