Alumni who sued WWU for withholding public records donate settlement to student journalism

Former student journalists who filed a lawsuit against Western Washington University for violating public records law have used some of the settlement earnings to establish an investigative journalism fund at Western. 

Last year, Western was penalized for withholding sexual assault records, the result of a lawsuit filed by alumni Erasmus Baxter, Asia Fields and Julia Furukawa. The three alumni were awarded $111,780.  

After attorney fees, taxes and an emergency expense, the alumni donated the remaining $42,000 to Western to form a Student Investigative Journalism Fund. The fund will provide $1,600 a year to support students in pursuing investigative journalism projects or receiving training.  

“We believe the best use of these funds is to support student journalists in pursuit of investigative journalism projects,” the alumni wrote in the endowment gift agreement. “… We know not everyone may have access to the resources we did. This endowment is a step toward creating sustainable funding for investigative student journalism at Western. Doing so is crucial for both the education of future journalists and for the good of the Western community.”

Brian J. Bowe, the chair of the department of journalism, said students will be able to apply to the fund, and the journalism faculty will vote on the recipients.  

He said students work on investigative journalism projects in the department’s advanced reporting class, as well as on student publications. Some students turn stories for basic reporting classes into bigger projects, he said.

The alumni specified that the funds should be awarded to students who are working on investigative journalism projects, projects that focus on issues affecting marginalized communities and investigative journalism training. It can also be used for legal services, records requests and software needed for investigative projects, according to the endowment gift agreement. 

Bowe said he’s impressed by the “integrity” and “tenacity” of the three alumni as they followed their lawsuit through the courts.  

“It’s really touching to know that these alumni thought so much of their education that they would be willing to pay it forward in this really generous way,” Bowe said. 

“This lawsuit was never about the money,” Baxter said in a news release. “It was about forcing Western to follow the law. We hope this settlement and endowment will provide an example and resources for future students so that they can hold powerful institutions accountable — even if the institution is their own university.” 

Donations to the fund can be made through The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, with a note that the gift is for the Student Investigative Journalism Fund. 

Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at [email protected]; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.