Freelance journalist covering criminal and social justice in Texas | As seen in the Guardian, the Marshall Project & Texas Monthly kaleyalyssajohnson@gmail.com
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Two weeks ago, I published an investigation into systemic sexual abuse and coverups at a North Texas prison.
Today, congressman @RepVeasey called for a Judiciary Committee hearing and federal investigation into misconduct at FMC Carswell.
star-telegram.com/news/local…
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I love journalism because it goes against everything my parents taught me as a kid;
- don't talk to strangers
- mind your own business
- don't eat mac & cheese in your car for breakfast, lunch and dinner
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A tale of two cases.
Joe Exotic, noted animal abuser and accessory to attempted murder, awaits possible pardon and limo.
Lisa Montgomery, a mentally ill sex trafficking victim, was executed overnight by her government in the middle of her fight for clemency.
This is the stretch Limo standing by at #JoeExotic Fort Worth Lawyers office. I’m told they’re waiting on a call from the White House confirming the presidential pardon before heading to pick him up at the prison. @CBSDFW
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Protesters just turned around and left.
“You just showed the nation how it’s done,” Chief Kraus yells.
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Fort Worth Paramore concert: Hayley Williams says her next song goes out to Greg Abbott, then sings “Big Man, Little Dignity”
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I write a lot of stories, but one I posted last week really got to me. A police dept had dropped the ball on a case against a sex abuser, and he walked free. He raped another girl and beat her almost to death.
We posted the story, but what happened next really bothered me
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Me: Oh good, Fort Worth police sent the police report I requested in April of their response to a clash between protesters and supporters of a drag show.
The report:
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The girls who were assaulted - their story matters. The families involved matter. Reform on sex assault investigation matters. So here it is. And if you have a minute, read it. Not for me or the views, but for those involved who will never be the same.
star-telegram.com/news/state…
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Police chief and the assistant chief kneel to pray with protesters. #GeorgeFloyd
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Day 10 of our strike. Here are some wild policies @mcclatchy has proposed:
1) Parental Leave: the company insists people should have less paid leave depending on how they gave birth. Meaning staff would have to tell the company whether they gave birth vaginally or via c-section
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A Fort Worth market vendor kicked out an artist over the artist’s support of the LGBTQ community, citing its“biblical values.”
Today, community members are protesting at Roots Market, waving pride flags and signs.
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That resulted in a tense standoff with protesters, so Kraus and assistant chief Swearingin came down from the command center to talk with protesters.
They talked and prayed. Protesters said of SRT left, they would too, so Kraus gave the order.
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I want to say thank you to everyone who has read/shared this thread & story. Sometimes journalism can feel like yelling into the void. This time, the void yelled back - and what I heard from it was compassion. Thank you for listening, and for bearing witness to this girl's story.
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This officer was the first to kneel with protesters. He picked up flowers from the street and put them in his bag
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Fourth protest in Fort Worth for #GeorgeFloyd. Last night, protesters were tear gassed by police. Right now we’re in front of city hall. Couple hundred people here. #protests2020
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SWAT just turned around and left after chief Kraus talked to them.
“When SWAT leaves, we leave,” one person shouted to the crowd
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Hey @BuzzFeed , no disrespect, but you’ve aggregated stories I’ve written multiple times. When you rely on local reporting, maybe don’t boast about how you can afford not to have a paywall?
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Fort Worth police chief Ed Kraus is marching with protesters.
He said organizers have been doing a way job keeping things calm but people “infiltrated” the protest with a different agenda.
Said half of those arrested last night were from out of town.
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Okay everyone. Here’s a rundown of what the chief told me:
- the first officer who kneeled and the ones who followed did so on their own
- when the protesters rushed forward to embrace the officers, special response team thought it was an attack
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Conversations happening between police and protesters. Cops says he agrees with what they’re doing, and as long as they don’t have stuff thrown at them, they’re okay.
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Beto O’Rourke speaking now. Crowd chants his name as he leaves. #elpaso
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Two families had their lives ruined. A police department really messed up (per their own internal investigation). The sergeant they found responsible, who left evidence buried on his desk in paperwork, went on to run for, and win, city commissioner.
And no one seemed to care.
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Thank you everyone for following along. Stay safe!
Here's the story, which includes some incredible photos from @AMcCoyPhoto #GeorgeFloyd #protests2020 #FortWorth
star-telegram.com/news/local…
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I’m headed out. Protesters and police left, a few people stayed behind to clean up water bottles, etc. Overall, not how I - or probably anyone - expected the night to go.
Check out -@JHowl04 and @ByJamesHartley, who are atil covering the Dallas protests.
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No one read it. The story got about 4,000 views. For context, a story about a parade being canceled the prior week got 10,000 views. A story about the first baby of the New Year got 8,000.
As reporters, we can't control our audience, but I can't stop thinking about this case.
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I've written stories before that I found deeply important that went unread. With this story, maybe our readers didn't see it. Maybe we posted it at a bad time. Maybe people are tired of reading about sexual assault and #metoo and are worn out on injustice.
But this story matters.
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Only a few people outside the Texas Capitol Building in Austin. Thomas Jones (Hawaiian shirt) said he and friends drove from Crockett to protest the Inauguration.
He expected more people to be here, but was banned from Facebook so didn’t know if anything was planned.
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Put my boyfriend in charge of dinner, walked into the kitchen to find him making rice in my tea kettle.
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Had to cancel a therapy appointment I made to talk about work stress…because I’m covering a school shooting.
And that’s on journalism in 2021.
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Today is my last day at the Star-Telegram.
When I moved here as a breaking news reporter, I had never been to Texas and knew no one.
Fast forward 5 years, and I have grown so attached to DFW and its people.
Which is why I’m not leaving.🧵
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In the last 30 seconds, we went from police and protesters hugging to riot police coming from a side street.
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Earlier today, a Fort Worth police officer shot and killed a man suspected of assault with a deadly weapon. Details on the shooting still under investigation. Many in the neighborhood have come out to the street and are now chanting, “no justice, no peace.”
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I’m at a rally in Fort Worth where about 300 people are on the street outside @RepKayGranger’s office, calling for @realDonaldTrump to be impeached. The rally is one of hundreds of #NobodyIsAboveTheLaw protests across the country
#impeachment #fortworth
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The company also limits leave time for parents who do not give birth. Our proposal is for 18 paid weeks of leave to any employee expecting a new child, whether it's through pregnancy, surrogacy, adoption or other placement.
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3) Bereavement leave: @mcclatchy wants to limit bereavement leave to a specific list of relatives. We believe any loved one should qualify. We don’t believe a company should determine whose deaths matter and whose do not.
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Hi this is why you should care about people who are incarcerated:
- they are human beings
There you go, that’s all you need.
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While this was going on, of Officer in riot gear showed up from the side. Someone threw a firework.
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It’s my two-year anniversary at the Star-Telegram!! Feeling very blessed to work for this paper and community. Thanks for welcoming my Midwest self and allowing me to introduce “y’all” into my regular vocabulary
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In a new program in Fort Worth, ex-gang members help stop violence before it happens.
In a few months, the team mediated 25 conflicts & interrupted 18 shootings , meaning that to their knowledge, threats were not followed through with after they talked with the possible shooter
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NEW: As of today, CDC is now recommending that all events with 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for the next 8 weeks because of coronavirus.
They use examples of weddings, parades and sporting events.
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The @FortWorthGuild picketed at our executive editor’s house today. Neighbors didn’t love it, I guess. Can confirm we had a megaphone. We also had a giant rat.
Sorry for the noise, we’re trying to save local news.
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2) Wages: @mcclatchy proposes $45,000 as a minimum salary. Under federal guidance, that would leave staff cost-burdened. So many journalists have left bc of low pay.
Our wage ($57,500) is based on actual research. Over six months, the company hasn’t moved from their $45k at all.
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We all set our work emails to send “out of office” notices to those trying to get in touch with us during the strike.
Looks like @startelegram manually changed our auto-replies. This is not okay - the community deserves to know why we are forced out of work this week.
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UPDATE:
Star-Telegram staff on strike has just been notified that the company is revoking our health care and other benefits effective Nov 30. We will not be able to get these benefits back until January at the earliest.
This is a choice on the company’s part. A shitty one.
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The things we’re asking for are BASIC necessities. Our newsroom has been leeched of resources and rights long enough.
Tomorrow we bargain with the company again, and we expect to see actual movement on these proposals and others. @KLR_Editor @tonywhunter @30bike @SteveCoffman1
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Today, the Star-Telegram print paper included an AP story on the New York Times strike. The AP story includes two paragraphs about the @startelegram strike, but that section is mysteriously missing from the Star-T printed version 🧐
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“If violence erupts in the streets of Fort Worth tonight, I want to be very damn clear. It was not us that brought the violence here... It was them,” a protester says.
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A church bell is sounding for 8 pm. Curfew has hit in Fort Worth. Hundreds are still in front of the Tarrant County courthouse.
“If you want to go home, go home. But remember Atatiana Jefferson was shot in her home,” someone said in the megaphone.
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Crowd keeps growing and it appears at least one person has been released from jail here at the Justice Center #STLverdict
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A group of students created a "Slave Trade" on social media where they discussed buying and selling their Black peers in Aledo, according to activists who provided the @startelegram with a screenshot of the Snapchat group.
star-telegram.com/news/local…
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Flash bombs going off. People still not leaving the bridge
Apologies for the swearing, flash bomb landed next to me
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After 8 months, the @mcclatchy has finally moved from its $45,000 floor wage. We’ve just been offered … $46,000.
Their lawyer says they have more “movement” to give, but they don’t want to give it until “late in the game.” I would say 3 weeks into a strike is late enough.
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5) McClatchy also responded to our thoughtful Accessibility proposal by rejecting it outright. The company refused to even have a conversation about improving accessibility in our newsroom.
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Enormous crowd at a park in El Paso where a vigil is being held. Volunteers are passing out candles, and a group is singing
#ElPaso
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I’m at the Tarrant County courthouse where a protest is planned for 6 pm in Fort Worth over the death of #GeorgeFloyd. Many are waiting on the steps already.
This guy just pulled up and blasted this song: those on the steps joined in.
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4) Retirement: @mcclatchy offers to match 1/3 of up to 6% of employee contributions to a 401k. (Which is … nothing.)
They also want the right to change the terms of the plan AT ANY POINT without having to receive approval.
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Fort Worth NewsGuild press release about our strike:
"Under existing working conditions, we cannot plan for a future in Fort Worth."
Want to show support?
— Donate to the strike fund at bit.ly/fwngstrike
— Send a letter to management actionnetwork.org/letters/fa…
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🎉Breaking news🎉We’re unionizing!!
We at the @startelegram announced our union this morning.
I love my newsroom and my community. By forming a union, we can ensure the Star-T continues to tell the stories of Fort Worth and North Texas for a very long time to come.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has been here for 111 years telling the stories of North Texas, and we’re not going anywhere. It’s in that spirit that the journalists of the Star-Telegram are forming a union as part of the @NewsGuild to preserve and protect the newsroom we love.
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Robert Johnson is an organizer. He said they don’t want anyone to stay post curfew and be arrested
“You don’t have to go to jail for justice.”
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My greatest passion in journalism is telling stories of injustice, and giving those who have long been unheard a platform to tell those stories.
I’m excited to say I can do that more than ever now - I‘ve been offered the position of Seeking Justice reporter for the @startelegram.
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Hundreds of phones shining on the streets in front of the Justice Center, where some protestors still remain inside after arrest #stlverdict
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A fifth protest is planned today in Fort Worth at 3 pm at the Tarrant County courthouse for #georgefloyd
Organizer Carol Harrison-Lafayette said they will have voter registration available.
The protest is earlier than others presumably because of the 8 pm curfew
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Again with the “f— Donald Trump chant” #protests2020 #GeorgeFloyd
Tarrant County is historically Republican, but it voyed majority democrat for the first time in decades in the 2018 election between Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz.
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Missed one:
Layoffs: We proposed that layoffs should be only a last resort.
@mcclatchy proposed that they should be able to do layoffs whenever there's some type of economic need (even if other avenues haven't been pursued) and that they don't have to give us any notice.
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This protest in Fort Worth has still been completely peaceful. Police are blocking protesters path to West 7th, where many businesses and museums are. #protests2020
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The amount of hate mail I’ve gotten this week is just insane. Do people realize when you email or call a newspaper, it goes to a real person?
Like, say, a woman trying to enjoy her morning coffee without being called a dumb bitch by an anonymous caller before noon?
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“Fort Worth is on notice.” Donnell Ballard says.
He says protesters and speakers will be at a Fort Worth City Council meeting on Thursday.
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BREAKING: Fort Worth officer who shot, killed Atatiana Jefferson booked into jail, charged with murder.
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Fort Worth community members have pushed for a police oversight board for years.
The police chief recently presented his version of such a board — he had already selected 13 of the 19 members.
One council member called it "a slap in the face."
star-telegram.com/news/local…
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This woman just sprinted at police. They didn’t do anything to her, protesters stay back too. Someone yelled “she ran at them, don’t go over there.”
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My editor texted me and told me to take the day off tomorrow. Siri instantly agreed with him. Traitor.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton falsely claiming and perpetuating the lie that the violent mob at the capitol today was made up of "Antifa thugs"
There is zero evidence of this.
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Organizer Carol Harrison-Lafayette announces organizers will go to Austin soon to meet with other BLM groups in the state.
Also says before the 2020 election, they, and other groups, will travel to Washington DC.
“Because we want laws passed and it starts with Congress!”
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A trans man said after he transitioned, his coworkers called him an "abomination" and "it." According to his lawsuit, JPS supervisors did nothing and eventually fired him for his gender identity.
star-telegram.com/news/local…
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Hey guys I’m back!
A few hundred protesters are setting off from the Tarrant County courthouse now. It’s a smaller crowd than I saw last week, but still pretty big considering it’s the 10th day of protests and it’s very hot.
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The entire bridge is on their knees chanting “hands up don’t shoot.” Police have gas masks on.
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Here is your official permission to not watch the debate if it will negatively affect you and make you want to walk into sea. You have permission to take care of your well being instead.
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A kid in my neighborhood had his 7th bday today & his mom said he was sad he couldn't do anything bc of coronavirus. She posted this is our neighborhood group and the response was overwhelming. Over 60 houses sang him happy birthday, decorated porches & gave him (sanitized) toys.
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Protesters start to gather at the Tarrant county courthouse in Fort Worth for #GeorgeFloydProtest.
A line forms for people to register to vote and sign petitions
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My former beat at Star-T has been posted with some … changes.
Seems they forgot a salary range. I made $52k when put into this role. Applicants should ask for much more.
If you’re thinking of applying and have any questions, feel free to reach out
jobs.jobvite.com/mcclatchy/j…
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A year ago, I decided to leave my family, friends & hometown for a place called Fort Worth. It was scary and new, but I’m so glad I did it.
I am so blessed to be a journalist at a paper I love alongside such incredible people. Thanks for a year of memories, Panther City.
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