Podcast Summary: Adults in the Room – "The Boy in the Photograph" (Episode 6)

Podcast: Focus: Adults in the Room
Host: KUOW News and Information
Date: March 31, 2026
Host/Reporter: Isolde Raftery

Episode Overview

This episode, "The Boy in the Photograph," is a deeply investigative and reflective return by host Isolde Raftery to the events at Garfield High School in Seattle in the late 1990s. Raftery examines the legacy and abuses of Tom Hudson, a charismatic biology teacher and leader of the school’s elite outdoors program. The story centers around the discovery of a troubling photograph and the unraveling of both past and present consequences for those involved, particularly the students who survived—or exposed—Hudson’s abuses. The episode explores the complexities of grooming, institutional failure, and the lasting impacts on survivors as Raftery tracks down the "boy in the photograph" and uncovers years of ignored warnings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Photograph and Its Aftermath

(Starts ~01:03)

• The episode opens with a chilling recounting of a teacher (Hudson) orchestrating an outing under the guise of teaching a student to drive, culminating in coerced skinny-dipping and the taking of a naked photo (01:26).
• Raftery discovers that this incident was previously investigated in 1994, five years before the allegations she and classmates later reported (02:08).
• A 2019 email from an anonymous sender seeking closure about the 1994 investigation is uncovered, prompting the quest to identify the "boy in the photograph" (02:51).

2. Maria and Carl Coriel Martin: Unpacking Boundaries

(Episodes with Maria at 04:58 and Carl at 08:59)

• Maria recounts her own disturbing experience on a boating trip: "He was drinking heavily… talking to kids about sexual things… I felt like a caged animal" (05:54).
• She describes the trust that evaporated due to Hudson’s erratic, substance-influenced behavior and a dangerous, out-of-control environment (07:22).
• Maria’s brother, Carl, shares how Hudson’s behavior crossed boundaries, recalling a "coded invitation" to masturbate together in a basement gym:
  • "It was all subtext and deniable, and it was not something I wanted to do" (09:40).
• Maria and Carl’s stories illustrate Hudson’s method of boundary testing and gradual grooming.

3. Tracking Down Jason Fox: The Boy in the Photograph

(Lead-up and contact spans 10:40-12:12)

• Carl helps Raftery identify Jason Fox as the likely boy in the photograph (10:40).
• After a series of outreach attempts, Jason Fox, now a sea captain in Maryland, agrees to speak (11:39-12:13).

4. Jason Fox’s Testimony: Grooming, Abuse, and Gray Areas

(Jason’s story starts 12:13, intensifies at 14:39 and 15:17)

• Jason shares how Hudson singled him out, including assigning him as a teaching assistant and pushing boundaries (12:50-14:02).
  • "I can almost hear his thoughts… someone's got to mentor you along… push your boundaries a bit" (14:02).
• Hudson’s “bets” on outdoor trips, resulting in sexual humiliation—as recounted by Jason:
  • "The loser would have to stand on a tree stump naked and sing the national anthem at full attention" (15:34).
  • "He would just watch. I mean, he wasn't pleasuring himself…" (15:49).
• On a solo trip, Hudson orchestrated mutual masturbation in a tent. Jason wasn’t physically forced, but the situation was clearly manipulated (16:39-17:14).

5. Institutional Failures and Lingering Consequences

(The investigation starts 18:28)

• When a friend discovers the naked photo, it catalyzes an investigation, but Jason, then at military school, omits the more incriminating details to protect both Hudson and himself:
  • "I protected myself… just said, no, I'm not going to bring this upon myself" (19:57).
• The district issues a written warning to Hudson, but it’s never enforced (20:18).
• Jason details the realization that what happened to him was indeed abuse—clarified by the #MeToo movement years later:
  • "Then all of a sudden, I'm like, wait a minute, I was abused." (20:51).
• He describes the subtle, gradual grooming process:
  • "I definitely had the illusion of giving consent because it was so, so gradual and so slow" (21:20).

6. The Aftermath: Healing, Complicity, and Unraveling Identity

(Jason’s reckoning continues 23:39, Ocean and Jonathan join at 26:15)

• Jason’s feelings are complex—he acknowledges both the positive influence Hudson had and the harm:
  • "Does that negate all the good? How do I figure out how to not throw away the baby with the bathwater?" (23:56).
• He questions whether his own adult sexual proclivities (exhibitionism) and manipulative behaviors trace back to Hudson’s influence (25:03-25:42).
• Other survivors, like Ocean Mason and Jonathan Hill, echo the difficulty of untangling positive memories from trauma:
  • "They are inextricably linked… was the good in service of the harm?" (Ocean at 26:39).
  • "That doesn't just go away. And I still think it's inside of me a bit, just like the deep pain he felt." (Jonathan at 27:35).

7. Institutional Silence and the Need for Change

(28:56 - 30:51)

• Raftery attempts to engage Seattle Public Schools, but they decline to discuss the case.
• The episode concludes by emphasizing how the consequences of predatory educators persist, and how survivors’ stories can offer hope and accountability.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of abuse and grooming:

  • "I definitely had the illusion of giving consent because it was so, so gradual and so slow..." — Jason Fox (21:20)
  • "Predators first built trust so they can steadily erode the standards of what's acceptable to their victims over time." — Isolde Raftery (21:38)

• On the conflicted legacy of a teacher:

  • "Does that negate all the good? How do I figure out how to not throw away the baby with the bathwater?" — Jason Fox (23:56)

• On the limits of institutions:

  • "For months, they didn’t respond. I was eventually told nobody wanted to talk about such an old case. But for a lot of us, it's not old." — Isolde Raftery (27:44)

• On collective healing:

  • "If we sit in our silos and we try to heal individually without healing the communal harm too, like, I don't think we can heal all the way." — Ocean Mason (29:14)

• On bystander inaction:

  • "To survive, a number of teachers just closed their doors and basically said, it's not my problem." — Unidentified speaker (30:39)

Key Timestamps

• 01:03 – Graphic recounting of the photograph incident and the first mention of the school district's 1994 investigation.
• 04:58 – Maria’s account of the disturbing boating trip with Hudson.
• 08:59 – Carl recalls boundary-pushing behavior; helps identify Jason Fox.
• 12:13 – Jason Fox introduces his experiences with Hudson.
• 14:39 – Jason describes his complicated and escalating mentorship, and the "bet" incidents.
• 16:39 – Jason details the tent incident (mutual masturbation).
• 18:28 – The naked photo triggers the initial district inquiry.
• 20:51 – Jason describes his realization, post-#MeToo, that he was abused.
• 23:56 – Jason expresses ambivalence and questions about his adult identity and behavior.
• 26:39 – Ocean Mason reflects on inseparable links between good and harm.
• 27:35 – Jonathan Hill describes the lasting scars.
• 29:14 – Ocean Mason on the importance of collective healing for survivors.
• 30:39 – Commentary on institutional silence from fellow teachers.

Tone and Style

The episode's tone is introspective, investigative, and at times deeply personal, balancing professional journalistic inquiry with raw survivor testimony. Raftery foregrounds empathy and complexity, never shying away from ambiguity or uncomfortable truths. The speakers' words are allowed space—often quoted verbatim—offering clarity, discomfort, and hope in tandem.

Conclusion

In "The Boy in the Photograph," Raftery methodically excavates a hidden history of abuse, institutional neglect, and enduring trauma. The convergence of voices—both those harmed by Hudson and those who exposed him—paint a portrait of a community still healing, still haunted, and yearning for both justice and understanding. The episode ends by pointing forward: the need for communal healing, survivor solidarity, and systemic change remains urgent, as does the courage to face the past.