The After Show: Beyond the Headlines - Sports, Scandals, and Murder

Summary

20/20 The After Show: Beyond the Headlines – Sports, Scandals, and Murder

ABC News | July 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep-dive conversation with ESPN investigative reporter Paula Levine, renowned for her fearless pursuit of major sports scandals and cases intersecting athletics, institutions, and crime. Hosted by Debra Roberts, the discussion uncovers the motivations, methods, and memorable cases from Levine’s career, including high-profile sexual assault investigations at Baylor University and the murder case of Brian Pata, highlighting lessons for budding journalists and the unique challenges facing women in investigative reporting.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Holding Institutions Accountable and the Drive for Justice

• Motivation for Investigative Reporting:
  Paula Levine shares that her drive stems from “wanting to pursue accountability, like holding truth to power, questioning people in authority, you know, speaking up for the voiceless” (01:52). She emphasizes journalism’s unique leverage to bring about real-world impact, including justice for victims and institutional reform.
  • “That’s what drives me to do this — not necessarily righting wrongs, but really holding the people accountable who are making the decisions and dispensing justice.” — Paula Levine (02:19)
• The Complexity of Institutional Accountability:
  Levine explains the betrayal felt when trusted organizations fail:
  • “When they drop the ball... It's almost, in a way, even more harmful, because the view out there was that they were supposed to protect you.” (02:53) She stresses the criticality of external accountability, especially in cases involving sexual assault.

Unique Pressures in Covering Sports

• Fanaticism and Blowback:
  The emotional investment of sports fans heightens stakes for investigative journalists.
  • “You don’t have 90,000 people gathering every week in a stadium to cheer on a politician... People have a really hard time... because you're attacking a part of me.” (04:11)
    Levine discusses the "mob mentality" and vitriol from fanbases, describing investigative sports journalism as uniquely intense.
• Why Scandals Persist in Sports:
  The culture of idolization, entitlement, and immense money enables misconduct and complicity.
  • “You look at these people who've been put on a pedestal... their lives, they've been, you know, feeling like they're invincible and they're entitled.” (06:00)

The Baylor University Sexual Assault Scandal

• How the Story Unfolded:
  The case sparked from discrepancies between university and criminal investigations:
  • “A football player... was convicted... in a criminal court of sexual assault. And... prior, the university's investigation... cleared this.” (06:47)
  • This led to discovering multiple mishandled cases and institutional failures.
• Impact on Survivors and Reporting Ethics:
  Levine urges journalists not to assume survivors don’t want to talk:
  • “Nine times out of 10, the response I get... is ‘Thank you so much. You're the first person who's ever really listened to me.’” (08:53)
  • Emphasizes approaching interviews as opportunities to give voice and hold helpers accountable.
• Institutional Response and Reforms:
  Baylor responded with major leadership changes, legal settlements, and a public apology (09:37).

The Murder of Brian Pata (University of Miami Case)

• How Media Got Involved:
  Police, facing stalled leads, reached out to ESPN for investigative help, an unusual move (13:00).
• Journalistic Persistence and Contentious Public Records Battles:
  Levine describes using public records requests and championing transparency, which led to tension with authorities (13:37).
• Case Developments and Safety Concerns:
  Discussed the retrial and defendant’s refusal of plea deals. Levine acknowledges threats faced as a reporter but underscores her vigilance:
  • “I've had threats before... I haven't felt, seriously, I mean, I felt like there's a lot of people who are very angry at me and want to do things like dox me or threaten me on social media.” (15:00)

Lessons for Journalists & Women in Reporting

• Patience, Persistence, and Source Building:
  Levine outlines skills for success:
  • “So much of what you have to do with an investigative story is you have to play the long game and it's a matter of being persistent.” (17:27)
  • Describes creative approaches to sourcing, never assuming reactions, and the importance of vetting sources (18:00–19:24).
• Experiences as a Woman in Investigative Journalism:
  While Levine hasn’t experienced overt patriarchy, she notes being underestimated can serve as an unexpected advantage:
  • “Sometimes I think people... think that maybe you're going to be more gullible... or softer on the story. In some ways, I almost appreciate that because then they don't see it coming.” (20:03) This “element of surprise” helps challenge stereotypes and hold power to account (20:27).
• Advice for Young Women Journalists:
  Key guidance:
  • “Be curious... Even though things have changed... for women, that's even more difficult... you're not entitled to a life of ease. Right. You're not entitled to a life free of conflict. Conflict is necessary.” (21:48, 22:24) Levine urges young journalists to expect and embrace discomfort in pursuit of truth and accountability (24:00).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When [institutions] drop the ball... it’s almost, in a way, even more harmful. Because the view out there was that they were supposed to protect you.” — Paula Levine (02:53)
• “Investigating sports figures is completely different... that passion that people have for these institutions is unique. And... the blowback that you get from that is intense.” — Paula Levine (04:11)
• “Nine times out of 10, the response I get... is, ‘Thank you so much. You're the first person who's ever really listened to me.’” — Paula Levine (08:53)
• “Making sure [sources] are always comfortable in talking to you... and that you're straightforward with them about... how you're going to tell their story.” — Paula Levine (17:27)
• “In some ways, I almost appreciate that because then they don’t see it coming... you have that element of surprise.” — Paula Levine (20:27)
• “You have to ask the tough questions... Conflict is necessary. And... encouraging [young women] that you should expect some level of turbulence, right? Like, that is part of this job.” — Paula Levine (22:24)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Motivation for Journalism: 01:21–02:40
• Sports Institutions & Blowback: 04:11–06:00
• Baylor University Scandal Exposé: 06:26–09:10
• Brian Pata Case & Transparency Battles: 12:06–15:50
• Journalistic Lessons and Building Sources: 17:27–19:24
• Women in Investigative Journalism & Advice: 20:03–24:11

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Concluding Insights

Paula Levine’s investigative journalism blends empathy with rigorous accountability, particularly in the high-stakes world of sports where institutional reverence often covers scandal. Her experience illustrates the necessity of patience, curiosity, and confronting discomfort, both for the sake of victims and the wider public. The episode offers a masterclass in investigative reporting, underscoring the powerful impact of truly listening — and daring to ask the hard questions, no matter the backlash.

Transcript

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[Debra Roberts]

Hi there everybody, and welcome to 2020 the After Show. I'm Debra Roberts and as always, I'm so happy that you are with us today. Typically, we peel back the layers of a 2020 report that we just reported on, but today we're going to take a different tact. We're going to let you get to know somebody who has covered some of the biggest sports scandals, ones that have sent shockwaves across the country. ESPN investigative reporter Paula Levine has stood on the front lines of, of these stories for nearly two decades. She asks those tough questions and of course, she challenges major athletic institutions in a fearless pursuit of accountability and justice, which makes her so great at what she does. Paula is giving us an insider look at how she helps shed light and bring so many of these stories to light. Paula, so great to see you again.

[Paula Levine]

Yeah, great to see you.

[Interviewer/Host Assistant]

Thank you. Yeah, yeah.

[Debra Roberts]

Well, you and I, as you said, we've worked on stories together before and of course, you talked with us before on 2020 about the Brian Pata story and your work on that story and you spend years on these stories. Now you've been a part of ESPN's investigative unit for nearly 20 years. And I'm just sort of curious because I do work that is sort of investigative, but I'm not an investigative reporter per se. What drew you to that particular part of reporting?

[Paula Levine]

I think ever since I was in college, I just had this really strong sense of wanting to pursue accountability, like holding truth to power, questioning people in authority, you know, speaking up for the voiceless. And, and that was, that was what really drew me to journalism, was just being in a position to be the person who can expose these things and have the leverage and have the voice to, to bring them to light and to affect change, whether it's someone being punished, whether it's them getting justice, whether it's, you know, some change in the rule or law. It's like that's what, that's what drives me to do this is to necessarily righting wrongs, but really holding the people accountable who are making the Decisions and dispensing justice.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah. People and institutions, you've talked about holding them accountable. What do you mean specifically? What kind of fired up this little part of you when you talk about holding institutions responsible, particularly you have these

[Paula Levine]

institutions that are supposed to be protecting people, that are supposed to be investigating these things, like the, the assumption is that they are there to, you know, to do the right thing. Right. And when they drop the ball, when they fail, when they make the situation worse, it's almost, in a way, even more harmful. Because the view out there was that they were the ones who were supposed to protect you. They were the ones who were supposed to make sure that everything works correctly and that you were, you know, able to, you know, like in the sexual assault cases, you were able to be safe. I think that's where that institutional accountability is, is so important because they, you know, what. What's the point of having these. These protections and so forth if no one's ever holding them to account and making sure that. That people aren't intentionally being harmed instead of being held.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah. And if they're not doing the jobs that we expect them to do, and oftentimes we're talking about elite institutions, elite sports organizations that you have had to come up against when you're doing your reporting. That's got to be pretty challenging too, though, you know, and a little bit scary at times.

[Paula Levine]

Oh, my gosh. I. I try to tell people, you know, to think about investigative reporting in sports in a completely different light than anything else, and investigating sports figures is completely different because you don't have 90,000 people gathering every week in a stadium to cheer on a politician or to cheer on a government agency or even for. Even to. To cheer on a particular actor. I mean, you have. You have people who are, you know, so driven by college sports that it is part of their identity. It's part of their bio on their LinkedIn page. They're. They're. It's part of their obituaries. You know, you don't see that with, with actors or government officials or politicians. And so, like, that, that passion that people have for these institutions is unique. And when you are pointing out that these institutions have done bad things, that these athletes have done bad things, you're dead to write on the facts. But, man, people have a really hard time handling, like, dealing with that because they're like, oh, my God, this is. This isn't just. You're attacking something. You're attacking a part of me because I identify so closely with this team or this Athlete or this, you know, institution. And the blowback that you get from that is intense. I mean, it can be pretty ugly. And the fan bases, the mob mentality is incredible.

[Debra Roberts]

Well, you know, when you think about sports, and it is such an American institution, too, when you talk about kids who have grown up idolizing sports, fitness figures and sports stars, is there something that makes the sports world and industry a little more susceptible to scandal? Is it just because people revere them and folks choose to look the other way?

[Paula Levine]

I think that's part of it. I think, you know, when you look at the individual athletes, you. You look at these people who've been put on a pedestal. They've been, you know, they're. For much of their. Their lives, they've been, you know, feeling like they're invincible and they're entitled. And I think that really plays into it. And the money, I mean, the money in it is incredible. And I mean, you could say that with other institutions, too, but with. With sports, I think that's a. That's another really big. Really big part of it.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, you. We started off talking about some of the cases that you've investigated, and one that so many of us remember, the Baylor University scandal. You even wrote a book about it, and that was involving sexual violence among students. What tipped you off that there was something going on there? What kind of led you to this particular story?

[Paula Levine]

There was a particular incident, it was covered by other media in 2015, where there was a football player for Baylor who was convicted in a criminal court of sexual assault. And the interesting thing about that was that a few months prior, the university's investigation, which is a civil matter, which has a lower standard of a burden of proof, cleared this.

[Interviewer/Host Assistant]

This gentleman.

[Paula Levine]

And the question was, well, how is that possible, that this university investigation could have found nothing? But then the criminal case ends up in a conviction. And so that's what really prompted us to look closer at what was happening at Baylor. And we started coming across case after case after case of athletes who, some of them had been convicted and had gone through the criminal justice system, but a lot of them hadn't. A lot of these cases never made it that far. It was just so sad what we found. I mean, so many of these women who, you know, you. You don't realize how much their life is derailed when something like this happens. And just the. The absolute, you know, the number of. And I'm sure. I'm sure that there are others out there that we. That we didn't find, but just the absolute number of women who have, you know, just been harmed by this. And so it was. It was really, really gratifying to be able to bring this to light. I think one of the biggest messages is don't ever assume somebody doesn't want to talk. And I have talked to a lot of younger journalists about, especially talking to people, talking to sexual assault survivors or anyone who suffered some sort of a trauma. And the initial thought is, oh, you know, I don't want to disrupt that. You know, I don't want to be too aggressive. And. And it's interesting that I will tell you, you know, nine times out of 10, the response I get from somebody after I've reached out and after we've talked is, thank you so much. You're. You're the first person who's ever really listened to me.

[Debra Roberts]

Wow.

[Paula Levine]

And even if they don't want their name out there, if they don't want. Even if they. Even if they just want to talk and don't want their story out there, they appreciate that someone cares. And not only that, but that someone cares and then wants to look into how they were treated.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah.

[Paula Levine]

And I think that, like, I cannot. I cannot say more often how much I go into those interviews seeing myself as not necessarily someone who's intruding, but someone who's giving them an opportunity and a voice. And I think if you're going to do this work, that's how you have to approach those interviews. As I'm here to listen to you, I'm here to give you a voice. I'm here to, you know, hold to account the people who are supposed to help you.

[Interviewer/Host Assistant]

Baylor ended up hiring a law firm. Law firm. To investigate how the university handled sexual assault complaints. And the university says it made sweeping changes in response to the report, including removing the university president and firing its football coach. And it changed the way it handles those complaints. Baylor would end up settling a federal lawsuit, one filed by 15 women, saying in a statement, we are deeply sorry for anyone connected with the Baylor community who has been harmed by sexual violence. While we can never erase the reprehensible acts of the past, we pray that this agreement will allow these 15 survivors to move forward in a supportive manner.

[Debra Roberts]

Well, don't go anywhere because we have so much more to talk about. And don't you go anywhere, because we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we're going to talk with Paula about some of the other big cases that she's uncovered, including one at the University of Miami that just sort of opened a case that had been cold for a very long time. So stay with us.

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[Debra Roberts]

Welcome back to 20 20, the After Show. I'm sitting here with ESPN investig Paula Levine, who has covered so many just earth shattering stories in a way. One of the most recent ones was a case that she worked on with us here at 20 20. It was the murder trial of 22 year old Brian Pata, the youngest child in a large Haitian family who was making his way to the top. He was a star in the sports world and likely going to be an NFL draft pick. Paula, this story, I think so many are still talking about it, particularly because of how it wound up making its way to court and what happened in the courtroom. But let's talk about just the beginning when you really learned about this case and you got involved. Police contacted you all at ESPN thought you could shine a light on this case. It had been cold. Do you think the case sort of resonated though, because this was sort of the story of an immigrant family or why do you think it did?

[Paula Levine]

I mean, I think it should did resonate early on because it involved a football player and initially had a lot of attention and then that just sort of faded from the headlines and it wasn't until 2017, in large part because the family came forward and expressed their displeasure with how the police were investigating. And the police taking a very unusual move and reaching out to ESPN for us to maybe do a feature or something on it to, you know, to maybe see if someone would come forward.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, that's just really unbelievable to me, because it's rare that they reach out to the media.

[Paula Levine]

I think they pursued a number of leads. They had an initial suspect, and at the time, they just didn't pull it together. And one of the things that we wanted to know was, I mean, we just wanted to know why. We really wanted answers as to what they were doing. And that kind of made us a little bit curious. So we did something that journalists want to do, which is we made a public records request for all of the information. And that's when. That's when things started to get contentious. And one of the things as a journalist I believe in wholeheartedly is transparency, especially when it comes to public records.

[Debra Roberts]

Rashawn Jones, who was a former teammate of the victim, Brian Pata, and of course, he ultimately went to trial, and the case, you know, ended in a mistrial. You'll be on this one, I'm guessing, for a little while longer as we see how this case all plays out. He had a possibility of a plea deal, which he chose not to take.

[Paula Levine]

On the day that they were trying to reschedule, the trial judge offers him yet again, the opportunity for a plea. Actually even says to him, you know, give us your best offer. And the message back is, I have no offer. I'm not interested.

[Debra Roberts]

Wow. This is a guy who truly asserts his innocence. Do you ever feel in danger? Do you ever feel sort of that your life could be in danger when you're looking into these stories?

[Paula Levine]

I mean, I've had threats before. I've had, you know, especially when, you know, sports fans are, as we said, you know, really rabid, really passionate. I haven't felt, seriously, I mean, I felt like there's a lot of people who are very angry at me and want to do things like dox me or, you know, threaten me on social media and stuff like that. But. But it is something that's always in the back of my mind. I'm. I'm very cautious. And I, you know, I do know that, you know, this is not making a lot of people happy and that there are people. I mean, unfortunately, you've seen it with other tragic stories with other news outlets and journalists, where people, you know, go after them. And some of them have been killed. And so it is, it is always something that is in the back of my mind. And, you know, it does make me take precautions.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, and you have to be. But in the end, it must be a great feeling when you actually make a difference. Paula, you've made a big difference in so many lives and so many stories. And I want to talk more about that. But first I got to take a break. When we come back, we're going to talk about the impact Paula is having on other investigative journalists and what lessons she's learned along the way. So don't go anywhere. We'll be right back.

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[Debra Roberts]

Welcome back to 2020 the After Show. I am having a great conversation with ESPN investigative reporter Paula Levine, who has made such a difference with her team at espn. And Paula, you're one of the few women who are, I would say for me, sometimes I think being a woman brings a different touch to some of these stories. You've interviewed sexual assault victims. I would like to think that maybe there was some comfort in the fact that they're talking to a woman. Give me a sense for you what you have learned that even along the way that kind of has helped you sort of pave the way, but also create more of an opportunity for you.

[Paula Levine]

Well, Deborah, I like the idea that I make people feel comfortable and, and I learned from every one of the interviews that I do. I mean, I think one of the hard things to do in journalism with all the pressure for deadlines and competition is to be patient. And so much of what you have to do with an investigative story is you have to play the long game and it's a matter of being persistent. I mean, the number of times where I've texted someone, I've emailed, no response. You know, three months go by, I send a letter in the mail and you know someone, finally someone finally responds. And I think so much of that is a lesson in diligence and persistence and also creativity in terms of how to find people, how to approach someone, how to develop a story, you know, and also just keeping, you know, and also maintaining your sources and really, you know, sort of as you touched on, like, making sure that they are always comfortable in talking to you and that you're straightforward with them about what you're doing and what the plan is and, and how you're going to tell their story and, you know, and maintaining those sources over time. And that's one of the, and you learn, you know, and, and to be open to learn from, from every story you do and realize that every person is different. I mean, that, that's the other thing is, is never, never making an assumption about how someone is going to react or what someone is going to say and, or who someone is. I mean, it's important. You know, one of the other things is, is vetting everybody you talk to and because you, you know, you want to, you want to make sure that you're protecting yourself as well, you know, you know, and, and so, so much of that. Like I said, with every, every story I've, I've learned something different. I've, you know, I, I, I don't, I don't make assumptions about people as, or I try not to because people have surprised me time and time again.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, it's easy to do that too, when we're in our line of work, when you're just trying to move along and move along. But being patient has a lot to do with it. I interviewed Mandy Matney here, who you probably know of. She's an investigative journalist who got a lot of recognition covering the Murdoch stories down there in South Carolina. And she was really intriguing to me as an investigative journalist and talking about what it is to be a woman in this field. And one of the overarching themes she felt is that, you know, women always having to fight the patriarchy, she sort of felt like that's at the core of so much of what she has looked into over the years in other stories. And I'm curious whether that echoes within your for you as well.

[Paula Levine]

I think, you know, I haven't, I haven't experienced that, I think as much. I think what I would say is to that, I would say I think people sometimes underestimate you. You know, as a woman, I think they under, they think that maybe you're going to be more gullible, that you're going to be more that you're going to be meek that you're not going to challenge, that you're gonna go a

[Debra Roberts]

little softer on the story, maybe.

[Paula Levine]

Yeah, yeah, it should be a little softer in the story. And so in some ways, I almost, I almost appreciate that because then they don't see it coming. And, you know, that's, that's, that's always. Yeah, you start out with, oh, you know, I just want to ask some questions about something. And, you know, and then you're, then you're asking for records and you're, you know, really pushing them hard on, on things. And I've, I've had. I have had experiences along those lines where I think people are like, okay, she's not, you know, she's not really going to come after me or she's not going to ask the tough questions. And, you know, to some degree, you, you know, you, you have that element of. Element of surprise, I guess. But, you know, is it, is it unfair that people think that way? Yeah, absolutely. And I, and I like to think that once, you know, especially the people that I'm holding to account, I like to think that once I'm. I'm done with them, they. They maybe think a little bit differently.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, I have, I've had that happen a few times, too, just because I bring kind of, I guess maybe a little bit of a sunny approach to stories that I'm doing. And then when I come in with the hard questions, sometimes folks are a little surprised. And that's. Maybe that's a secret weapon. Before I let you go, I'm curious. I'm sure there are a lot of young folks out there who are listening, maybe some budding journalist. Any advice you want to offer to young, particularly women who might be thinking of going into the field and investigative reporting?

[Paula Levine]

Yeah, I think it's so important to encourage young people to go into this field. I mean, it's tough. As you know, Deborah, it's a much different environment now than it was a couple decades ago. But I just, I encourage, you know, one of the things I say that's so important is to be curious.

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[Paula Levine]

Just to be curious. I mean, I think. And I, and that sounds so simple, but sort of in this area of all this, like, instantaneous social media, you know, just looking, you know, all this stuff going by so fast, like, you don't really have a second to, like, really think about what's in front of you and, and to, you know, to really.

[Interviewer/Host Assistant]

Also.

[Paula Levine]

The other thing I see in. Also with the curiosity is that. And I see This a lot with young people, I think there's a lot of fear of conflict. And I don't know if that's because there's a generation that grew up during the pandemic and we were all isolated. But I see so much in young people, just this fear of confrontation. And a lot of, you know, well, I'm not, I don't want to go there, so I'm not going to ask that tough question. And that's the thing I tell people is, you know, you have to ask the tough questions. I mean, you're not, you're not entitled to a life of ease. Right. You're not entitled to a life free of conflict. I mean, conflict is necessary. And I think for a lot of young journalists, especially those who want to get into investigative reporting, that's a huge, that's a hurdle. And I also do some, even though things have changed, I do still think for women, that's even more difficult just because of all the assumptions and perhaps the expectations they might have in society in general that you're not going to be the one who's, who's creating conflict. You're supposed to be the one who's keeping the peace. And so I think encouraging them that you should expect some level of turbulence, right? Like, that is part of this job. That is part of holding people accountable. That is part of seeing things that are being done wrong and calling people out on them. It is uncomfortable, especially if it's someone you know who, you know, up till then, nobody thought anything bad of. It's hard. And that happens a lot in sports. Right. It's hard to do those things, but you have to do them and you have to be prepared for the blowback.

[Debra Roberts]

Yeah, that's such a good, good point. I love that. Because there is a tendency, I think, not to want to ruffle feathers, but that's what we do. And being curious and playing the long game, so much great stuff there. Paula Levine, it has been such a pleasure catching up with you. Next time, I hope we can do it in person.

[Paula Levine]

Absolutely.

[Debra Roberts]

Oh, great. Well, good seeing you. Thank you so much as always. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us for this podcast episode. You can watch us for our latest 2020 episodes on Friday nights on ABC, of course. And you can stream episodes like this one anytime on Disney plus and Hulu. And we should also note that ESPN is owned by Disney, our parent company here at abc. Thanks so much for being here and see you next time.

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