Snap Judgment: School Daze – The Sleuthers
Podcast: Snap Judgment & PRX
Episode Air Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Glynn Washington
Produced by: Shayna Shealy
Episode Overview
This cinematic, beat-driven episode of Snap Judgment tells the true story of six high school journalists in Pittsburgh, Kansas, who discovered a stunning secret about their newly hired principal: her academic credentials might be fake. As the students of the Booster Redux newspaper apply real-world investigative skills to untangle a web of lies, they must decide just how far to push—and what it means to stand for the truth when the adults don’t listen.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Seed of Suspicion (03:38–08:19)
- Maddie's Assignment: Maddie, a junior, is tasked with interviewing the incoming principal, Dr. Amy Robertson.
- The University Question: During the interview, Maddie learns Robertson earned her PhD at 'Corlens University'.
- Quote, Maddie (06:16): “Huh, never heard of that.”
- Initial Red Flag: The website for Corlens is a single, broken page with payment options—a stark anomaly for a university.
- Advisor Involvement: Maddie brings concerns to newspaper advisor Emily Smith, who coaches her on follow-up questions.
2. Journalism With Teeth (07:01–13:55)
- Background on the Booster Redux: Known for taking on meaningful stories, with a track record for effecting school change.
- Reply from Robertson: When asked for clarification, Robertson CCs the Superintendent, suggesting he has final say— Quote, Emily Smith (08:52): “He doesn’t have final say about what goes in the newspaper. And welcome to Kansas.”
- Student Press Freedoms in Kansas: Students have exceptional journalistic rights, akin to professional reporters.
3. The Editing Team Goes Full Sleuth (10:46–16:52)
- Research Escalates:
- Google reveals Corlens University is flagged as a diploma mill.
- Attachments sent by Robertson can be unredacted with simple tech tricks—more suspicious.
- Claimed clients and the Dubai school Robertson says she founded don’t check out.
- Images used in her promotional materials are traced to stock images and Juilliard graduation photos.
- Quote, Gina (13:19): “There were clearly aspects of her, like, resume or some of the materials that were shared with us that were, like, plagiarized. We're kind of like, how could someone have missed this?”
4. Confronting the Administration (17:22–20:12)
- Meeting with Superintendent Brown: Despite all evidence, Brown downplays concerns, tells students to “trust us.”
- Quote, Callie (18:50): “He’s gonna bring us pizza and then pretend like everything’s fine. Because we wanted to be believed, and we also wanted it taken off our…”
5. Face-to-Face with Robertson (23:05–29:56)
- Prepping the Interview: Students, nervous but resolved, prepare to grill Amy Robertson over Skype.
- Superintendent Takes Over: Brown insists on running the interview, undermining the students’ lead.
- The Interview:
- Robertson fumbles questions on Corlens University, gives vague or contradictory answers about her background, transcripts, physical campus, and consulting business.
- The students are repeatedly stifled and not given real answers.
- Quote, Gina (27:28): “As the interview went on, we felt like we were just getting more questions than answers…”
6. Digging Deeper Outside School (30:13–33:00)
- Fact-Checking:
- Kansas Dept. of Education: Would not recognize Robertson’s credentials for principal licensure.
- Pitt State: Would not accept Corlens credits, calls it unaccredited.
- University of Tulsa: Never offered degree Robertson claimed.
- Quote, Emily Smith (31:07): “Have you given money to this place because it is not an accredited institution and you will not get any of those credits.”
- Spring Break: Community rumors swirl, but no action from adults.
7. Choosing to Publish (33:53–39:20)
- Advisor Smith Recuses Herself: Following legal guidance, Smith steps back to ensure student autonomy in reporting.
- Student Dilemmas:
- Some students’ families urge caution, fearing repercussions.
- Students debate the risk and their collective responsibility.
- Quote, Gina (35:07): “We were at, like, a very critical point… is it even our place as students?”
- All-In: The six students commit to going public, enlisting an external journalist to help tighten the story.
- "The Sleuthers" Identity: Embracing their nickname, the students work into the night to meet the print deadline.
- Quote, Connor (37:56): "At one point, our superintendent said something about us sleuthing... so we would always call ourselves sleuths."
8. Fallout and Vindication (41:13–47:13)
- Initial Silence and Dismissal:
- The issue goes to print and is widely read at school, but the administration and local press try to quash or discredit the story.
- Quote, Maddie (43:34): “All of our hard work. And now no one's, like, gonna believe it…”
- Prom Night: Amidst feelings of letdown, irony abounds—the dance theme is a masquerade.
- Breakthrough:
- The Kansas City Star picks up the story, prompting the school board to call an emergency meeting.
- Students forced the district's hand—Robertson resigns after failing to provide credentials.
- Quote, Gina (45:16): “We all met up at this board meeting, knowing we were going to get some answer from the board about the work that we had done…”
9. Aftermath: Triumph and Tension (47:27–51:01)
- National Attention: Washington Post and others cover the students’ feat; but hometown reaction is mixed—some blame the kids and Smith for embarrassing the community.
- Quote, Callie (48:47): "I feel like a lot of it had to do with pride… these high schoolers are exposing it to the community."
- Mixed Legacy: The event leaves lasting marks on the students and Smith; only Gina pursues a journalism career, but all experience the real power and peril of speaking truth to power.
- Quote, Gina (50:46): “And for me, it felt like empowering… to realize that, like, I had a voice and that people were willing to listen.”
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- Emily Smith, on the suspicious email (08:52): “That last sentence is like, burned into my brain because… why would you flip like this on this kid?”
- Gina, on unmasking digital redactions (12:18): “We realized we could just change the color of the highlight and it revealed the information that was redacted. To me, that was just part of the, like, tech savviness of our age…”
- Maddie, on the decision to go public (36:46): “We've done research. We have evidence. Like, just be confident and go for it.”
- Smith, on outcome (47:07): “And so then that was it. Like, nobody talked to them. Nobody said anything.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:38–08:19| Maddie's initial interview and first suspicions | | 08:52 | Robertson's defensive email; Smith's realization | | 10:17 | Meeting with Superintendent – initial administrative dismissal | | 12:18 | Students uncovering improper redactions | | 13:19 | Discovery of plagiarized and generic content | | 17:22 | Students present evidence to the superintendent | | 23:05–29:56| In-person critical interview with Dr. Robertson | | 30:13 | Further external fact-checking | | 33:53 | Advisor Smith recuses herself | | 36:46 | Students recommit to publishing | | 41:13 | Newspaper is printed and released | | 44:54 | National media pick up the story, leading to principal's resignation| | 47:27 | National coverage and community backlash | | 50:46 | Reflections and student outcomes |
Episode Tone
- Candid, urgent, sometimes humorous; a mix of teenage earnestness and adult disillusionment.
- The story is both a coming-of-age tale and a real-life investigative drama, providing insight into student agency, institutional denial, and the discomfort that accompanies truth-telling.
Closing
The Sleuthers is a riveting true story about the power and peril of speaking up. These teenagers’ hard-nosed curiosity and methodical research changed their school and shook their town—showing the world what student journalists can do when adults aren’t paying attention.