LA Times admits errors in Occidental College stories, fires reporter

[alp227]

Source: LA Observed

An unusual editor's note appeared this afternoon on the Los Angeles Times website, announcing that officials of Occidental College had convinced editors that the Times was wrong to report in December that Oxy had "failed to disclose 27 alleged sexual assaults that occurred in 2012." The note says some of the alleged assaults did not fit the definition of campus crimes that must be reported under the federal Clery Act.

But the editor's note buried the lede. Near the bottom of the item, the Times said that editor David Maharaj today fired reporter Jason Felch for not disclosing an inappropriate relationship with a source on the Occidental stories. No details of the relationship or the source were given.

Separately, as they began looking into the complaint, Times editors learned from the author of the articles, staff writer Jason Felch, that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with someone who was a source for the Dec. 7 story and others Felch had written about Occidental's handling of sexual assault allegations. Felch acknowledged that after the relationship ended, he continued to use the person as a source for future articles.

Times Editor Davan Maharaj dismissed Felch on Friday. Maharaj said the inappropriate relationship with a source and the failure to disclose it earlier constituted "a professional lapse of the kind that no news organization can tolerate."

Read more: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2014/03/la_times_admits_errors_in.php

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also covered by AP, LA Times fires reporter, admits error in 3 stories

In 2010 and 2011 Felch got flak on DU for Felch's biased reporting about LA teachers. Good riddance I suppose.

[Cha]

1. This is good that the LA Times is being accountable. thanks alp