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Jennifer Smith Richards

I pursue stories about abuses of power — often focusing on schools and education — and stories about private businesses throughout the Midwest.

Need to Get in Touch?

Tips about government and business, particularly in the Midwest, are welcome. I’m also eager to hear from educators and government officials. I want to connect with parents and students experiencing the administration’s policy changes.

What I Cover

My stories focus on abuses by powerful government institutions. Right now, I am reporting on how the Trump administration is reshaping the federal government’s role in schools and education — and what that means for young people. I’m especially interested in shifts in the way students’ civil rights are monitored and enforced at school.

My Background

I began my journalism career writing obituaries in West Virginia, then covering small-town southern Ohio. I’ve written about schools and education at newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia; Utica, New York; Savannah, Georgia; and Columbus, Ohio. Most recently, I worked for the Chicago Tribune, where my work exposed the practice of police issuing tickets to students at school, abusive educators, government misspending, sexual abuse in schools, lapses in police accountability and the mistreatment of students with disabilities. My stories have prompted new state laws, the prosecution of school officials and the creation of child-protection units in school districts and state education departments.

I’m a graduate of Ohio University and I live in Chicago.

Inside Shrub Oak

Three States Have Warned Against Sending Students to an Unregulated Boarding School for Youth With Autism

After visiting Shrub Oak International School, officials from Connecticut, Washington and Massachusetts have advised districts of troubling conditions at the school where a ProPublica investigation uncovered reports of abuse and neglect.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen,

The Price Kids Pay

An Illinois School District’s Reliance on Police to Ticket Students Is Discriminatory, Civil Rights Complaint Says

Two civil rights groups are asking the U.S. Department of Education to force Rockford Public Schools, the third-largest district in Illinois, to stop discriminatory discipline involving police.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen,

Inside Shrub Oak

New York Education Department Hindered an Abuse Investigation at Boarding School for Autistic Youth

A state judge ruled that the agency must cooperate in a disability rights investigation into Shrub Oak International School. A ProPublica investigation found that would-be whistleblowers could not get state authorities to intervene at the school.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen,

The Price Kids Pay

Ticketed at School as a Teen, a Young Black Woman Is Suing an Illinois City for Violating Her Civil Rights

It took four years and a jury trial for Amara Harris to beat the ticket that accused her of stealing another girl’s AirPods. Now she’s heading back to court in the hope of stopping schools from using police to discipline students.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards,

Inside Shrub Oak

Illinois School Districts Sent Kids to a For-Profit Out-of-State Facility That Isn’t Vetted or Monitored

A state law was meant to help families by allowing the use of public money to fund students’ tuition at special education boarding schools around the country. But in solving one problem, lawmakers created another.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards,

Help ProPublica Report on Education

ProPublica is building a network of educators, students, parents and other experts to help guide our reporting about education. Take a few minutes to join our source network and share what you know.

by Ken Armstrong, Jennifer Berry Hawes, Nicole Carr, Jodi S. Cohen, Asia Fields, Eli Hager, Alec MacGillis, Jeremy Schwartz, Jennifer Smith Richards and Aliyya Swaby,

A Chicago Cop Is Accused of Lying Under Oath 44 Times. Now Prosecutors Are Dropping Cases That Relied on His Testimony.

Former Chicago officer Jeffrey Kriv faces charges for perjury and forgery after getting out of dozens of traffic violations by claiming his girlfriend had stolen his car. Now, cases that stem from arrests Kriv made are in jeopardy.

by Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen,

The Price Kids Pay

Years After Being Ticketed at School for a Theft She Said Never Happened, Former Student Prevails in Court

Amara Harris declined plea deals and ultimately won a legal fight that dates back to 2019. Now she and her attorneys want to push for statewide reforms.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards,

The Price Kids Pay

Illinois Officials Will Try a Second Time to Make Good on Pledge to Reform Student Ticketing

Despite legislative setbacks, state leaders and Gov. J.B. Pritzker say they remain committed to stopping schools from continuing to use police to punish students.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards,

The Price Kids Pay

A Chicago Suburb Stopped Ticketing Students. But It Won’t Stop Pursuing a 3-Year-Old Case Over Missing AirPods.

The city’s prosecution of a former student comes as the state considers a ban on ticketing students at school. The case is headed to a jury trial.

by Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, and Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune,

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