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The series began with a tip that a handful of JFK High School students’ grades were being improperly inflated. The tipster presented compelling evidence of grade inflation, and the school was unable to refute it. Partly as a result of that first story, the CEO of the school’s governing charter network was suspended (later resigned) and a consulting firm brought in to take her place. The consulting firm uncovered evidence of far-reaching errors with and manipulations of students’ files, which resulted in about half the class of 2019 being unable to graduate on time. Through public records requests and student and parent sources, The Lens was able to report on the unfolding scandal almost as it was happening, well before the information was formally released to the public. The series uncovered the far-reaching and unchecked autonomy of charter schools in New Orleans. It also exposed gaps in the city for transfer students and revealed that charter course offerings were not being examined by the school district.