Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "discipline" ...

  • StarTribune: Discipline Deferred

    A six-month investigation by the Star Tribune found that the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, once considered a national leader in the regulation of licensed physicians, often doesn’t punish doctors whose mistakes harm patients or who demonstrate a pattern of substandard care. After analyzing information compiled by a national databank and reviewing thousands of pages of court and medical board records, the reporters found that the board, which regulates 20,000 physicians in the state, has been reluctant to punish some doctors who have harmed patients, including more than 100 doctors who were disciplined by other states and even doctors who lost privileges to practice at Minnesota hospitals. The investigation also showed that the board lags behind boards in other states in disclosing information to the public, including data on malpractice judgments or settlements. It also doesn’t disclose whether doctors have been disciplined by regulators in other states or lost their privileges to work in hospitals and other facilities for surgical mistakes and other problems.

    Tags: Board of Medical Practice; physicians; doctors; punishment; patients

    By Glenn Howatt; Richard Meryhew

    Star-Tribune (Casper Wyo.)

    2012

  • Identity Evil

    "Identity Evil" is an in-depth look at a violent fake document cartel operating in states across the country. The cartel is the largest and most sophisticated fake id ring federal investigators have ever encountered. They were funneling millions of dollars from U.S. cities south of the border into Mexico. The cartel became synonymous with murder and torture as they sought to protect their turf from rival gangs and enforce discipline within their own organization. Using eyewitness accounts, federal wiretaps, and interviews with victim’s families, investigative reporter A.J. Lagoe and photojournalist Ben Arnold take viewers inside the cartel and document the violence that would prove to be their undoing.

    Tags: Fake ID; federal wiretaps; violence; fake document cartel

    By A.J. Lagoe, Reporter; Ben Arnold, Photojournalist

    WRIC-TV8

    2012

  • C-HIT: Pharma Perks

    The Affordable Care Act requires pharmaceutical companies to publicly report all payments to physicians by September 2013. Some drug companies have already compiled, but few consumers know that the information is available or how to access it. What this story did is disclose for the first time for CT consumers: 1) how many doctors in Connecticut are high-prescribers of certain psychotropic and pain medications, (108) 2) the cost of written prescriptions (hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases) 3) how many of these doctors received payments from drug companies (at least 43) 4) and the amounts that the doctors received from the drug companies ($30,000 - $99,000) It also reported that only 3 doctors on the high-prescribing drug list have been disciplined by the state Medical Examining Board.

    Tags: Affordable Care Act; pharmacy; physicians; prescriptions; drugs; Medical Examining Board

    By Lisa Chedekel

    Conn. Health Investigative Team

    2012

  • Both Sides of the Law

    At least 93 Milwaukee police officers have been disciplined for violating laws and ordinances they were sworn to uphold. The offenses range from sexual assault and domestic violence to drunken driving and shoplifting. Officers who run afoul of the law often aren't fired or prosecuted, and they are allowed to continue enforcing laws the very laws they have broken.

    Tags: police misconduct; police department; discipline; law enforcment

    By Gina Borowski

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    2011

  • Both Sides of the Law

    This series looks into the Milwaukee police department's policies for officers who break the law. They found at least 93 officers that have been disciplined for violating the laws and ordinances they were sworn to uphold.

    Tags: police misconduct

    By Gina Barton

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    2011

  • When Caregivers Harm

    The investigation exposes failure of state nursing overseers to take corrective action against licensed caregivers accused of malpractice. Lack of competent oversight led impaired nurses to cause harm to patients through abuse, negligence and stealing patient medication for recreational use among other wrongdoings.

    Tags: nurses; California; Nursing Board; harm; caregivers; Tracy Weber; malpractice; drugs; abuse; negligence; discipline;

    By Tracy Weber

    Los Angeles Times

    2009

  • Disciplining Oregon Teachers

    Oregon state and local education officials poorly protected children from teachers who have molested or abused students. Secret deals were made by school administrators to get rid of these problems.

    Tags: child abuse; classroom; sexual assault; statutory; school board; school district;

    By Amy Hsuan; Bill Graves; Melissa Navas

    Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)

    2008

  • California's Criminal Nurses

    Dozens of registered nurses and other licensed health care professionals convicted of serious crimes - including sex offenses and attempted murder - remained fully licensed to practice for years in California before regulators acted against them. Some registered nurses racked up five, 10, even 14 convictions before the state moved to discipline them.

    Tags: nurses; health care; criminal records; licensed nurses; hospitals; corruption

    By Tracy Weber; Charles Ornstein

    ProPublica

    2008

  • The F-School Bomb

    "F-School Bomb" tells the story of English teacher Erika Selig's attempts to address a serious lack of discipline at Allapattah Middle School where she taught. Through Selig's eyes, readers were able to get a first-hand look into the daunting problems facing children, teachers and administrators inside a title 1 school. From racially charged fights between Hispanic and black students to the pressures of teaching students to pass Florida's standardized tests, Allapattah Middle School exemplified everything that is wrong with inner-city failing schools.

    Tags: inner-city schools; education; standardized tests; race; public schools; juvenile delinquents; teaching

    By Francisco Alvarado

    New Times (Miami)

    2008

  • Dr. Brain DDS

    "For decades low-income children complained to police that a local dentist criminally assaulted them...The State of Washington paid the dentist millions of tax-dollars, while encouraging families on welfare to visit his office. KIRO Team 7 Investigators not only uncovered never-before released court files, but also exposed a system that rewards disciplined dentists."

    Tags: dentist; health care; assault; children; state government; low income; court cases; police;

    By Chris Halsne; Bill Benson; David Weed

    KIRO-TV (Seattle)

    2007