As we close out 2025, Louisville Public Media reporters are reflecting on the biggest stories they covered.
I’ve covered education in communities across the country for 10 years, and now report on education for LPM’s Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, right here in my hometown of Louisville. Here are my highlights for the year.
Dig, Season Three: “The Girls”
Top of mind for me is the latest season of our investigative podcast, “Dig: The Girls.” This series uncovers 18 years of allegations of child sex abuse by two former Louisville educators and football coaches: Ronnie and Donnie Stoner. I spent the vast majority of my time this year devoted to this project — tracking down documents, prosecutors, experts and witnesses, attending court hearings and getting to know alleged survivors of the Stoner twins.
In the midst of my 19-month investigation, prosecutors decided to bring an indictment against both brothers, along with another man, on more than 50 charges. Both brothers deny the allegations. The third man, Zach Kilgore, is still on the run.
Educator sexual misconduct is a tough topic, but unfortunately a very real phenomenon. This season goes deep on one set of cases, and reveals a lot about the failures of schools, police, and state social services that allowed the alleged abuse to continue despite multiple opportunities for adults to intervene. It also highlights the strength and resilience of young women and girls when they decide to band together.
You can find this 4-part podcast at KyDig.org, Apple, Spotify or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
New JCPS Superintendent
Another major story I covered this year was the selection of the new JCPS superintendent Brian Yearwood.
Yearwood came from a much smaller district in Missouri, where he took a $667,000 buyout to leave mid-contract, and signed a nondisclosure agreement preventing him from speaking on his reasons for departing. The Jefferson County Board of Education went against the teachers’ union on this pick, and said they were impressed with Yearwood’s financial chops at a time when the district is facing the end of that federal infusion of covid relief funds.
Yearwood has already made waves on the financial front, announcing that the district’s budget shortfall is much much bigger than was predicted by staff under previous superintendent Marty Pollio. The Courier Journal has done some great reporting following the budget controversy.
In an attempt to chip off a piece of the shortfall, Yearwood announced a plan to close or consolidate several schools. We reported that the impact of those closures would fall disproportionately on Black students. The board has since paused consideration of the plan after public outcry.
Billboardgate
Speaking of Pollio, one story that got a lot of attention was about the billboard along Interstate 65 downtown thanking Pollio for his service as he approached retirement this summer. Through a series of records requests, I found out it was paid for with about $7,000 from a large donation meant to support low-income students in Louisville’s predominantly-Black West End, downtown and Smoketown areas.
Our reporting sparked a board inquiry into the spending of the $20 million grant from billionaire philanthropist McKenzie Scott.
Other local media followed with their own stories about the billboard.
