Richard L. Bean remained in his perch as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name despite scandals, investigations, and the use of seclusion to punish children.
The head of Knoxville’s Richard L. Bean detention center will retire after ‘loss of confidence’ in his leadership
A 2023 WPLN News and ProPublica investigation found that Bean was illegally locking kids up alone in cells. A new scandal has forced his resignation.
Chattanooga school agrees to pay $100,000 after an 11-year-old was arrested under threats of mass violence law
Junior was handcuffed and arrested for allegedly making a threat. His family agreed to a settlement in their lawsuit against his school.
Tennessee lawmakers are not changing the current school threats law. They’re adding a new one.
A bill moving through the Tennessee state capitol would create a new felony offense for people who make threats at school.
How Tennessee’s juvenile justice laws impacted kids in 2024
This year started off with a battle in the state legislature. And kids caught up in the justice system are the ones who have dealt with the consequences.
A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. The Principal Kicked Him Out of His Tennessee School for a Year.
Over the last couple of years, Tennessee and several other states have been making it easier for schools to suspend or expel students. But study after study has shown that harsh disciplinary practices such as mandatory expulsions are ineffective at reducing violence in schools.
Pepper spray, beatings and neglect: DCS sued over treatment of kids in Tennessee’s juvenile justice facilities
A class action lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges that Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services failed to protect children in the juvenile justice system.
How restorative practices are changing some Nashville classrooms
Classroom management is a major challenge for new teachers, and even veteran educators.
Despite outcry over seclusion at juvenile detention centers, Tennessee lawmakers fail to pass oversight bill
A bill that would strengthen oversight of Tennessee’s juvenile detention centers has failed, despite a concerted push for reform after multiple county-run facilities were found to be locking children alone in cells.
Tennessee DCS ‘working closely’ with Knoxville’s juvenile detention center to reform illegal use of seclusion
Tennessee’s state agency that inspects juvenile detention centers says it’s working closely with a Knoxville facility to “address deficiencies” documented in reporting by WPLN and ProPublica, including years of instances of children being illegally locked alone in cells.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM