Work Samples

Special Report: An in-depth series looking at how autism impacts us all

Meriden Record-Journal · 7.28.20

A three-part series looking at continuing rises in childhood autism prevalence and some of the ripple effects that trend has on school systems, social service systems, families and the workforce. Other stories in the series:

• ‘The system is going to explode’ — Adults with autism struggle to find support in Connecticut

• Adults with autism in Connecticut struggle to find employment, quality of life

Lyman Hall gym teacher resigned after student complaints of sexual harassment

Meriden Record-Journal · 3.16.18

An investigative story detailing sexual misconduct allegations made by students against a high school teacher prior to his unexplained resignation.

Former Klan leader second in command of Wallingford VFW post 

Meriden Record-Journal · 7.2.18

This story revealed to the local community that the vice commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, which made itself visible by sponsoring little league teams and marching in town parades, was a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and had a documented history of bigotry.

Breaking the Silence: Talk to alum led to probe at Choate

Meriden Record-Journal · 9.21.17

After Choate Rosemary Hall, a prestigious boarding school, released an internal investigation detailing decades of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen teachers, I spoke to the former student who initially alerted school leadership to the history of misconduct and prompted the investigation. This story was presented on the web with a special layout I pitched and created using Adobe Spark to help break up the story text. I also shot most of the photos embedded in the story.

This was one of several stories I broke while covering the scandal at Choate, which received national attention.

This story was part of my ongoing reporting of the misconduct findings at Choate. Other stories:

• Former Choate headmasters resign as life trustees following investigation into unreported sexual abuse — PDF

• Wallingford police considering criminal investigation into Choate allegations — PDF

• Police: Two Choate sexual assault allegations can still be prosecuted but no complaint filed — PDF

• New Choate investigation details more allegations of sexual misconduct — PDF

• Teacher fired from position in Ohio after sexual misconduct allegations confirmed by Choate — PDF

• Choate in Wallingford fires teacher over alleged ‘inappropriate conduct’ while at New Haven school — PDF

• Revelation of past sexual abuse will not affect town’s relationship with Choate, Wallingford officials say — PDF

Decades later, Meriden taxpayers strapped by 'old sins'

Meriden Record-Journal · 6.28.19 PDF

An explanatory story looking at how decisions made by past Meriden city leaders decades ago to not fund the city’s employee pension obligations cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually.

UConn Clinics Struggle To Meet Mental Health Needs Of Students

Connecticut Health Investigative Team · 5.15.16

An enterprise story about a lack of available counseling resources for a rising number of UConn students seeking mental health treatment. The story was originally written for the Connecticut Health Investigative Team, a non-profit wire service that allows newspapers around the state to republish stories. The story was republished in ten Connecticut newspapers, including the Hartford Courant and New Haven Register.

Protective order issued against Meriden councilor after domestic assault arrest

Meriden Record-Journal · 5.30.20 PDF

This story detailed domestic violence allegations made against a city councilor who was arrested for allegedly assaulting his teenage daughter at his home.

Woman overcomes tumultuous past after finding a new family in Wallingford

Meriden Record-Journal · 7.16.17 PDF

A story about a local woman who overcame an abusive upbringing as an adopted child to graduate high school.

Frustrated by state family violence program, alleged victim speaks out in Meriden

Meriden Record-Journal · 1.19.20 PDF      

For this story, a domestic violence survivor spoke to me about what she perceives as a flaw in how the criminal justice system treats any individual facing their first domestic violence charge as a first-time offender who is eligible for a diversionary program. In this case, the survivor alleged her husband assaulted her multiple times before filed charges. She argued that her experiences after coming forward demonstrate why some victims are reluctant to come forward.

Dispatch audio from Wallingford concert shooting reflect challenging crime scene

Meriden Record-Journal · 4.19.17 PDF

Using police dispatch audio recordings obtained through a Freedom of Information request, I tried to recreate the crime scene of a double-homicide shooting that took place at the Oakdale Theatre in 2016. It was the first homicide in Wallingford since 2009. After months of no updates in the investigation, I pitched this story idea as a way to write about the shooting, which garnered a lot of attention locally, despite no additional information released by police.

Family evacuated from Puerto Rico sues over SWAT raid of their Meriden apartment

Meriden Record-Journal · 2.23.19 PDF

This story looked at a lawsuit alleging police violated the rights of a family relocated from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico when a SWAT team raided their home based on a search warrant for an unrelated drug suspect.

Using a police report and other documents I obtained related to the incident, I was able to lay out the two sides accounts of what happened and discrepancies between the two accounts.

Battle over Meriden council’s closed-door talks heads to state Supreme Court

Meriden Record-Journal · 10.31.19 PDF

This story was an update in a long legal battle between the city of Meriden and the Record-Journal over a private backroom meeting a group of city councilors and other officials held in 2016 to form a city manager search committee. The group did not constitute a quorum of the City Council, however, the state Freedom of Information Commission found it constituted a public meeting because it represented a step in the council’s legislative process. The group produced a detailed list of proposed search committee members and a scope of duties during the private meeting, which was subsequently approved at a public meeting without any discussion or changes.

As a reporter, I took particular pride in ensuring public officials maintained transparency and complied with Connecticut’s sunshine laws, which the Record-Journal’s former publisher helped pass in the 1970s.

Documents reveal fired Meriden police captain secretly recorded meetings

Meriden Record-Journal · 2.9.19 PDF

This story cites internal affairs documents I obtained through a Freedom of Information request to uncover that a former Meriden police captain illegally recorded other members of the department, including the police chief, before being terminated. The web story also includes the secret recordings, which I also obtained through the FOI request.

Meriden mother dies after hit-and-run while crossing street with daughter

Meriden Record-Journal · 10.11.16 PDF

Breaking news story about a mother who was killed in a hit-and-run accident while crossing a street with her 7-year-old daughter. 

Wallingford 7-year-old fighting brain cancer, relearning to eat

Meriden Record-Journal · 3.25.17 PDF

A feature story about a local boy who depends on a feeding tube because he was diagnosed with brain cancer as an infant.

Partially paralyzed woman treated at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford to take on Hartford Half Marathon

Meriden Record-Journal · 10.14.17 PDF

A feature story about a young woman paralyzed from the chest down attempting to complete a half marathon after completing inpatient rehab at a local healthcare facility.

Students at odds over whether high school prepared them for life

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review · 9.13.16    

This report was a part of a larger story package completed by myself and nine other summer interns at Trib Total Media. The intent with this story was to find out whether or not high school graduates in Western Pennsylvania believe that their high school education adequately prepared them for their endeavors after graduation, whether that be college or a professional career. For the story, I conducted interviews with 30 graduates from seven counties in Western Pennsylvania.