In 'Adults in the Room,' a KUOW investigative journalist re-reports the story that's haunted her for nearly three decades

February 24, 2026 / 8:01 am

KUOW Design / Alicia Villa

The new series launches today as part of Focus, a dedicated podcast channel for immersive audio documentaries.

Adults in the Room retraces a harrowing series of events that took place at Garfield High School during the 1999-2000 school year. The series is hosted by Isolde Raftery, an investigative journalist, KUOW’s managing editor, and a central character in the story.

When Raftery was a student at Garfield High School during the late 1990s, Tom Hudson was a legend. He taught biology and led a renowned student outdoors program. But when Raftery and her best friend Ella—both editors at the school paper—started looking into a rumor that he had abused students, things began to unravel. Adults closed ranks to protect the beloved teacher, and schoolmates turned on the young journalists making them into pariahs. Before there could be a full investigation, Mr. Hudson took his own life.

Following his death, Seattle Times columnist Nicole Brodeur wrote: “The school district's investigation will likely be abandoned now that Hudson is gone. And so it may never be known if the allegations were true. Only that they likely played a part in killing a teacher best known for showing his students how to survive.”

Now, Raftery is re-reporting the story to understand what really happened that year. Was a whole school community groomed by a charismatic predator? Or was she part of a whisper campaign that cost the life of a great teacher?

“I've always thought about this time but never challenged myself on whether those people were right to be so mad at me. I just assumed they were wrong, I was right. End of story,” says Raftery. “But I'm a storyteller, and this story has stayed with me.” Isolde Raftery, Host

KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

Though the events are set in the past, the series grapples with very contemporary questions — about the nature of mentorship and boundaries between grown-ups and teens; about how and when institutions close ranks to protect their own; and about how charismatic predators often groom adults as well as children to make their behavior seem acceptable.

“[Ella and I] are parents now, and we've had a lot of therapy to process what happened,” said Raftery, “I think a lot of us have wondered how we'd react if teachers treated our kids the way some of our teachers treated us, and the answer is we. would. not. be. happy.”

Adults in the Room is a seven-part series with episodes released weekly. Listeners can find it on the KUOW app and all major podcasting platforms. Search for “Adults in the Room” or “KUOW Focus.”

For partnership, promo swap, and press inquiries, contact Amelia Peacock (apeacock@kuow.org).

ABOUT FOCUS

Focus is KUOW’s home for immersive audio documentaries. Each season zooms in on a single story that challenges commonly held narratives about life in the pacific northwest and reveals something bigger about American society. Previous KUOW documentaries include the Peabody-nominated series Lost Patients, which explores America’s failing, maze-like system for treating serious mental illness, and Ghost Herd, chronicling the largest cattle swindle in U.S. history and the shifting powers in the American west.

ABOUT ISOLDE RAFTERY

Isolde Raftery has been the managing editor at KUOW since 2024. Previously at KUOW, she was online managing editor, investigations team editor, and web editor. She has reported for NBCNews.com, The New York Times (where she was a fellow on the Metro desk), and the Columbian and Skagit Valley Herald newspapers in Washington state. Isolde attended James A. Garfield High School in Seattle and later graduated from Barnard College in New York City. She received a master’s degree in Literary Nonfiction from the University of Oregon.

ABOUT KUOW

KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism, innovative podcasts, engaging community events, and more. We work every day in service of our mission to create and serve a more informed public, because we believe an informed public is essential to a thriving community, a vibrant democracy, and a better future. KUOW podcasts include chart-topping shows like THE WILD with Chris Morgan and local news staples including Seattle Now, Soundside and Booming. KUOW is a proud member of the NPR Network, a coalition of public media podcast producers with a shared mission to create and serve a more informed public.