Bee, Sun-Star reporters honored for investigative series

A joint investigation by Modesto Bee and Merced Sun-Star reporters into a flurry of Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits filed in the northern San Joaquin Valley has been recognized with a McClatchy Co. President’s Award for journalism excellence.

“Taking a Stand v. Taking Advantage,” a five-part series of stories appearing in August of 2014, explored how the large number of ADA lawsuits against local businesses were filed by attorneys representing clients who in most cases live far away and file dozens of lawsuits that are settled out of court. Bee reporter Garth Stapley and Sun-Star reporter Ramona Giwargis pored through thousands of pages of court records during their investigation.

One of the plaintiffs was discovered by Stapley to be a convicted sex offender who previously had filed ADA lawsuits in his deceased brother’s name and started filing them in his own name after his release from prison. Some businesses that have been targeted by the lawsuits closed their doors, while others claim they were extorted.

Stapley also found that California is ground zero for these lawsuits due to the state’s favorable legal climate. State and federal legislators have since proposed legislation to allow businesses to correct minor violations before being sued, and local chambers of commerce have held workshops for businesses on ADA compliance.

“This was a terrific example of reporting on a complicated topic that forced the state to take action,” the judges said.

The President’s Awards are the highest honor the company bestows upon its journalists. The competition is stiff, with each of the company’s 29 newspapers submitting entries.

“This is the kind of journalism that’s key to who we are as a news organization, and we’re proud of the public service this series of stories provided for Stanislaus and Merced counties,” Joseph Kieta, editor of The Bee and the Sun-Star, said.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Bee, Sun-Star reporters honored for investigative series."