Sammy Sussman

An officer bungled a teen rape case. The victim was abused again.

The investigator, who did not believe the teen, faced little punishment, illustrating the different ways that officers in New York State are disciplined for misconduct.

*2022, not 2023

Former students bring 40 years of misconduct allegations against SMTD professor UPDATE 04/14/2022: Stephen Shipps was sentenced to 5 years in prison for sexual misconduct he repeatedly perpetrated against one of his high school students in 2002. Though this former students’s stor...

Back in 2018, @michigandaily.bsky.social also broke the story about decades of his alleged sexual misconduct and harassment: www.michigandaily.com/news/communi...

Former SMTD professor sentenced to five years in prison In the mid-1980s, a North Carolina School of the Arts student took a brave step that affected the rest of her high school career: she met with Robert Hickok, the school’s dean, to report that Stephen ...

New: Former @umichsmtd.bsky.social professor Stephen Shipps was release from prison yesterday, according to the Bureau of Prisons website.

Back in 2023, right before I graduated from from U of M, I wrote about his sentencing for @michigandaily.bsky.social: michigandaily.com/news/former-...

This case speaks to vast differences in police discipline across New York State, with punishments effectively left entirely to the discretion of the police chief or sheriff.

It's the latest in an ongoing investigative series for @nytimes.com and @nysfocus.bsky.social based on 10,000+ police files

An Officer Bungled a Teen Rape Case. The Victim Was Abused Again.

NEW:

A teen said she was being sexually abused by her adoptive father. An officer didn't believe the teen and didn't take steps to investigate. The teen was returned to the home, where she continued to face sexual abuse. The officer was given just a reprimand.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/u...

In a Looming Nuclear Arms Race, Aging Los Alamos Faces a Major Test

Fascinating reporting from a fellow local investigations fellow:

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...

Tulsa police disciplined six officers suspected of driving drunk, some weren’t criminally charged Most officers suspected of driving under the influence received suspensions ranging from three to 16 days, records the Tulsa police union tried to keep secret show.

Fascinating reporting based on disciplinary files:

www.readfrontier.org/stories/tuls...

Across New York State, police officers have driven drunk. And sometimes, they avoided criminal punishment.

An investigation with @nytimes.com.

‘No Arrests’: In New York, Some Police Can Drink, Drive and Avoid… Officers in New York State crashed their official vehicles, hit other motorists and arrived to work reeking of alcohol. And yet, they sometimes evaded…

Across New York State, police officers have driven drunk. And sometimes, they avoided criminal punishment.

This reporting, and the gathering of these records, has been a very long process. Shoutout to @muckrock.com for aiding in the requesting and processing of records and @nysfocus.bsky.social for co-publishing.

How We Obtained 10,000 Police Disciplinary Records

Here's more about the records and about my process over the past two years. I hope that reporters in other states will consider pursuing similar reporting: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...

These incidents, many of which were previously concealed, show how some departments have treated drunk driving as an H.R. issue, not a crime.

Some officers smelled of alcohol, according to their colleagues. Others admitted during internal interviews to drunk driving. They were often suspended from the job but not arrested.

Some officers, the files revealed, hit other cars. Others drove drunk to work or to crime scenes. But they were not always given sobriety tests, our investigation found.

For the past two years, I have pored over thousands of police disciplinary files that revealed a concerning story: Across New York State, some police officers have let their fellow officers off the hook for driving drunk.

In New York, Some Police Officers Can Drink, Drive and Avoid Charges

My first article as part of The Times' Local Investigations Fellowship:

In New York, Some Police Officers Can Drink, Drive and Avoid Charges

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...

‘A Persistent Pattern of Sexual Harassment’ New court filings offer the fullest picture yet of the scope of the alleged misconduct at the New York Philharmonic.

New, for @nymag.com:

‘A Persistent Pattern of Sexual Harassment’

New court filings offer the fullest picture yet of alleged misconduct at the New York Philharmonic.

www.vulture.com/article/new-...

I'm so excited to continue writing for New York Focus while also working under the amazing stewardship of The Times' Local Investigations team!

Baltimore Banner wins Pulitzer Prize for coverage of overdose crisis The Baltimore Banner was awarded the Pulitzer Prize on Monday for groundbreaking local journalism that exposed Baltimore as the deadliest large city in the nation for drug overdoses.

We just won a Pulitzer Prize for our coverage of the overdose crisis. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/lo...

The Curious Gaps in the Israeli Army’s Updates On a little-known web page called War Diary, the military spokesperson provides information on its activities in five languages, but reports details of West Bank operations in Hebrew only

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army led a massive deployment in destruction, killings & arrests in the West Bank. But while it maintains a webpage in 5 languages, the spokesperson updated with details in Hebrew only, @sammysussman.bsky.social reports. newlinesmag.com/reportage/th...

Lastly, I can’t stop thinking about this scene:

“At least 4,400 of these Palestinians were taken from specific villages and cities … over the 10 months.” “Just 1,850 of the 4,400 arrested in the West Bank last year have been accused of affiliation with Hamas. The army has not provided a justification for detaining the other 2,500 people.”

“The database also shows how the Israeli military has focused on other targets. It destroyed or sealed 10 printing presses, destroyed seven specific individuals’ homes and “mapped” another nine specific homes for future demolition between October 2023 and July 2024.“

“The database … shows that at least 381 mass-detention operations resulted in the arrests of over 4,000 people in over 200 villages and cities…. At least 66 of these operations were met with what the Israeli military classified as violent resistance, and at least 86 individuals were killed.”

New, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social:

In Oct. and Nov. ‘23, as human rights groups worked to gather evidence of mass detentions in the West Bank, the IDF was releasing daily updates on these detentions — and targeted killings, airstrikes, etc. — on the just Hebrew version of a little-known press page.

'I would make it up to you': A local developer, an FBI inquiry and money in Ann Arbor politics FBI inquiry into Heidi Poscher’s alleged attempt to influence a former City Councilmember. Poscher has since become a large donor in Ann Arbor politics.

Impressive student journalism:

One of Ann Arbor’s major prop. owners is also a big local pol. donor.

These reporters found 3 previous felony convictions under different surnames — now a local councilwoman alleges she attempted bribery and an FBI investigation

www.michigandaily.com/news/focal-p...

nor do they want incarcerated people to read this one, apparently: nysfocus.com/2025/03/03/d...

just got this message yesterday:

New York's Prison Officials Don't Want Incarcerated People to Read This Story The state's prison agency has censored lawsuits, emails, and Hell Gate stories during the three-week-long wildcat strike.

New York's Prison Officials Don't Want Incarcerated People to Read This Story

The state's prison agency has censored lawsuits, emails, and Hell Gate stories during the three-week-long wildcat strike.

Disappointing to see this at IRW, an institution that previously supported reporting by me and by other interns/staff on these very issues in workplaces across the country: