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Artwork for Focus: Adults in the Room

Focus: Adults in the Room

KUOW News and Information
Psychosis
Seattle
Mental Health Crisis
Homelessness
Garfield High School
Schizophrenia
Mental Health Care System
Mental Illness
Emergency Psychiatry
Community Care
Substance Use
Mental Health Policy
Tom Hudson
Substance Use Disorders
Involuntary Commitment
Patient Advocacy
History Of Mental Health Care
Jesse Lee Johnson
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Harriet Thompson

The production team behind the Peabody-nominated "Lost Patients" returns with a new investigative series: "Adults in the Room." Episodes will come out Tuesdays at midnight Pacific Time.

Seattle, 1999. At Garfield High School, Mr. Hudson is a legend. With a thundering voice and imposing stature, Mr. Hudson — or “Tom” as select students call him — teaches biology and leads an elite outdoors program... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes16Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureDocumentary

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Artwork for Focus: Adults in the Room

Latest Episodes

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 i... more

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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 ... more

YouTube

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,... more

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As adults, Isolde and Ella start re-investigating the question of Mr. Hudson’s guilt. For years, they've wondered if they spread unfounded rumors that drove Mr. Hudson to take his own life.

Isolde digs out a brown manila envelope containing the sc... more

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Ella Hushagen
Isolde's childhood friend and today an attorney
Independent
Episode: Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Tim Matsui
Local rock climber and documentarian who contributed archival tapes
Post 84 / Outdoors program (past)
Episode: Adults in the Room: Bad Apples
Rebecca Den
Reporter who covered Garfield story for the Seattle PI
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Episode: Adults in the Room: Bad Apples
Aisha Beck
Editor-in-Chief of The Messenger during senior year
The Messenger (Garfield High School newspaper)
Episode: Adults in the Room: Bad Apples
Cheryl Chow
Former Garfield High School principal involved in the case
Garfield High School
Episode: Adults in the Room: Bad Apples
Jason Fox
Former Garfield High School student and survivor who later became a sea captain
Garfield High School, Navy (Naval Academy context in episode)
Episode: Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph
Maria Coriel Martin
Former Garfield student and Post 84 member who reported abuse allegations
Garfield High School Outdoors program
Episode: Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph
Ocean Mason
Garfield alum, former Post 84 member
Garfield High School Outdoors program
Episode: Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph
Jonathan Hill
Former Post 84 president
Post 84 Outdoors program
Episode: Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph

Host

Isolde Raftery
Host of immersive investigative documentaries and investigative journalist focused on long-form storytelling and accountability.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 2.6k ratings
  • Great

    Good reporting, good storytelling. How did a school system and a community allow such an environment to exist in 1999 (season 2)?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PodcastListener-2020
    United States3 months ago
  • Thank you

    Powerful podcast hope there are some more episodes

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kelly 🇮🇪🇵🇸
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Compelling story is ruined by narrator who never advanced beyond a high school child’s mentality.

    .

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Cointossed
    United States3 months ago
  • People need to hear this

    This podcast is fantastic. It gets deep on so many levels and explores so many nuanced, important themes. Perhaps the most relevant theme for 2026 = it is dangerous and damaging when a group of people forms a hard, instant, intractable opinion before hearing the facts or even asking the questions. The gap between what folks thought of Tom in 2000 vs what they think of him now shows just how far we’ve come in understanding grooming. I wish I could say we’ve come as far when it comes to not making... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    schlitz n fritz
    United States3 months ago
  • Incredible sourcing

    This podcast is a tough but important listen. The journalists have great sources, in part because they were part of the story in their youth. The victims are allowed to share their story with no judgment, and hopefully that allows them to heal after all this time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LidoMarin
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Narration can feel overbearing for some listeners.
The reporting is strong and stories are deeply engaging.
Powerful, thought-provoking exploration of accountability and survivor voices.
High-quality sourcing and interviews that add credibility and depth.
Commentary on surrounding institutions is insightful and nuanced.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: How do you avoid sensationalizing a difficult story?
The team emphasizes honoring survivors, presenting complex humans rather than reducing them to a stereotype, avoiding dazzling details, and maintaining rigorous fact-checking to protect the subjects.
Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: What can you tell us about episode eight and what's next?
Episode eight centers on one individual's story, dating back to the 1980s, connecting Tom Hudson and his death, with only limited detail shared to build anticipation for the finale.
Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: Why dredge this up now?
The team explains the ongoing relevance, the present-day impact, and the desire to understand what happened beyond the initial reporting, including how abuse and institutional responses ripple through time.
Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph
Q: Was there anything else I should know about the photo and the investigation?
The investigator pressed for full disclosure, and Jason ultimately shared the deeper context of the bets, the tent encounters, and the escalating boundary violations, which reframed the events as part of a broader grooming pattern rather than isolated incidents.
Opening
Q: What were the obstacles to creating that system of community care?
Evans states there was recognition of the need for change, but not a solid understanding of alternatives to large institutions.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Focus: Adults in the Room

What is Focus: Adults in the Room about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous investigative series that revisits a decades-old high school abuse case, examining how rumors escalated into formal inquiries and how the community, administration, and journalism interacted in the face of survivor testimony. Through archival recordings, survivor accounts, and contemporary perspective, it weighs accountability, due process, and the long shadow such events cast on students, families, and the school community. Notable themes include the tension between protecting students and protecting institutions, the role of journalism in truth-telling, and the enduring need for safeguards against predatory behavior in schools. The narrative relies on first-person testimonies and careful sourcing, offering a nuanced look at how... more

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1. Love Trapped
2. Trace of Suspicion
3. Bridge of Lies
4. The Binge Cases: U R NEXT
5. Betrayal Weekly

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Focus: Adults in the Room launched 2 years ago and published 16 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Focus: Adults in the Room?

Recent guests on Focus: Adults in the Room include:

1. Ella Hushagen
2. Tim Matsui
3. Rebecca Den
4. Aisha Beck
5. Cheryl Chow
6. Jason Fox
7. Maria Coriel Martin
8. Ocean Mason

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