Focus: Adults in the Room

Isolde Raftery

focus@kuow.org

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Booking Overview

This investigative documentary series re-reports a decades-old abuse allegation and follows how institutions respond to credible claims. It’s ideal for PR pitches from credible journalists, child-safety advocates, and public-education leaders who can speak to accountability, safeguarding, and institutional reform.

Metrics

Episodes: 16

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Female

Location: USA

YouTube: 5.7k subscribers

Instagram: 52.0k followers

Contact Information

focus@kuow.org

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Isolde Raftery - Isolde Raftery is the investigative journalist at the center of the series, re-reporting the 1999 events to understand what really happened at Garfield High School and how allegations were handled....

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high
Typical Credentials:  
Investigative or watchdog journalism experience; senior roles in public education (e.g., superintendents) or child-safety/safeguarding policy; documented firsthand experience related to abuse allegations (survivors or former students) presented responsibly
Required Achievements:  
Led investigations or public reporting on institutional misconduct, Authored or implemented school safeguarding policies, Public advocacy or reform work around child protection, Experience as a survivor/affected person willing to speak on record

Recent Guest Discussions

Ella Hushagen - Behind-the-scenes Decisions From The Series; Interviews That Didn’t Make It Into The Final Episodes; Challenges Of Addressing Grooming/childhood Sexual Abuse; Audience Questions

Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools - Why Predators May Receive Multiple Chances To Remain In The Classroom And Plans To Make Schools Safer For Children

Rosie Bancroft - Context From Garfield High School And The Investigation Into Abuse Allegations; Conversation With Isolde As Part Of The Episode Reporting

Jonathan Hill - Account Of Grooming/abuse And How It Shaped Identity And Life Outcomes

Ocean Mason - Account Of Grooming/abuse And How It Shaped Identity And Life Outcomes

Recent Topics

Investigation, Education, Child Safety, Sexual Abuse, Journalism

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
Focus: Adults in the Room
:

Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making

June 29, 2026

The team behind Adults in the Room is hard at work on an Epilogue episode, set to release later this summer. In the meantime, the team recently gathered for a live event to discuss behind-the-scenes moments and decisions from the series—including interviews that didn't make it into the final episodes, the continued challenges of addressing grooming and childhood sexual abuse, and audience questions. KUOW's Libby Denkmann was joined by Ella Hushagen, host Isolde Raftery, producer Alec Co...

Adults in the Room: Bad Apples

April 07, 2026

A surprise archival interview with a former Garfield High School principal reveals that the teacher abuse problem at the school extended beyond Tom Hudson. Isolde discovers that the district received numerous credible allegations of temper outbursts and sexual harassment about her Garfield journalism teacher, Dave Ehrich, but kept him in the classroom until his retirement in 2019. As Isolde looks into the district’s recent history addressing repeat allegations against teachers, she find...

Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph

March 31, 2026

As Isolde looks through records on Mr. Hudson from Seattle Public Schools, she comes across a document describing a photograph of Hudson and two students at a mountain lake near Seattle. All three of them are naked. Isolde learns that back in 1994, before she attended Garfield, this photo spurred a separate investigation into Hudson's relationship with students. But ultimately, records say the boy told investigators it was no big deal.  Years down the line, that changes. Isolde finds an ...

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