From Serial: ‘The Kids of Rutherford County’

hey everyone it's Sabrina I'm just. jumping in here to tell you that today. we're sharing the first episode of a. brand new series for our colleagues over. at serial Productions it's called the. kids of Rutherford County I don't want. to give away too much but I will tell. you that the show does one of the most. powerful things journalism can do which. is to examine how we treat the most. vulnerable Among Us in this case young. children the show tells the story of a. juvenile detention center in Tennessee.

and from the beginning the realities it. lays out are pretty shocking but even. more than that I want to say they're. Illuminating they help you understand. the world and what could or maybe should. be. different okay I hope you give it your. time here's marabon night and serial. Productions with the first episode of. the kids of Rutherford County you can. find the full four-part series wherever. you get your podcasts or if you're a sub. subscriber in the New York Times audio.

app it was a March afternoon in ruford. County Tennessee a growing Community. about 30 Mi southeast of Nashville. school was out for the day and a dozen. or so little kids were playing a game of. pickup basketball in someone's backyard. and then as kids do one said something. about another kid's mom this insult led. to some shoving and then his kids also. do one of them pulled out a cell phone.

and started filming look walking away. there's some kind of heavy neon filter. over the whole video so it's hard to. make out any faces but here's what you. can see an 8-year-old boy hands shoved. into the pockets of his oversized parka. is trying to walk away from everyone. when a smaller boy about five or six. runs up behind him and smacks him in the. back a few times then another little kid. runs up and takes his turn throws a. couple feeble punches to the back the.

kid walking. away some of the older boys are egging. them. on meantime off camera you can hear one. girl try to break it. up other kids just stand around watching. and a few of them are also filming on. their phones and then the video just. ends it's the type of fight that barely. seems worth posting online but that. happened anyway and soon the video.

started to make the rounds spreading. from the kids to teachers and eventually. to one police. officer and it's what happened next once. this officer got involved that the story. really begins because it's what caught. everyone's attention to what's been. happening to kids in ruford County it's. what caught mine from serial Productions. and the New York Times I'm marban Knight. this is the kids of Rutherford County. episode one The egregious video.

[Music]. [Applause]. [Music].

a few weeks after the fight Alexia. Martin got a call from a police officer. named Crystal Templeton she said that um. my kids was on a video instigating a. fight she was like it was bullying and. she would like to talk to them and that. they wouldn't be in no type of trouble. so I made plans to meet M. Templeton later that day Alexia and her. 10-year-old daughter IM Maria drove to.

meet officer Templeton on a side street. so uh when I got there miss Templeton. shows me the video and I was like well. that's not my kids that's bullying and. uh she was like well you know I want to. talk to the other kids and let them know. what they're doing is not right no one. is in trouble I was like well okay she. said so can you identify your kids I. said yes I can I said that's my daughter.

is the one who's saying stop to Tay Tay. that's my son over there he's in the. video but he wasn't saying nothing. instigating nothing she said so who are. the rest of the other kids so my. daughter she wrote down all the kids. names and we gave them to. her the whole thing seemed very casual. Alexia doesn't remember officer. Templeton even telling her that she was. conducting an investigation.

so when im Maria Alexia's daughter. leaned over the hood of the police car. and wrote down the names of the kids in. the video she had no idea that what she. was doing would lead to 11 kids. including herself getting. arrested the reason why officer. Templeton was trying to ID all the kids. in the video is because she believed all. of them B some responsibility for the.

fight or at least for not stopping it. the two kids doing the actual hitting. she thought they were probably too young. to bring charges against they look like. they were about 5 or 6 years old and in. ruford County they generally didn't. charge kids under seven but what about. the other kids the kids standing around. the kids egging it on officer Templeton. wondered if there was a charge that. would apply to all of. them so relying on the memory of a. 10-year-old officer Templeton took the.

list of names given to her by marier and. headed to the County's judicial. commissioner's office for guidance and. what to charge them all with in. Rutherford County judicial Commissioners. are the people who approved. charges at their office the commissioner. searched the state's database and they. found a statute that seemed to fit the. bill criminal responsibility for conduct. of another officer Templeton would later. say quote I looked at the charge to the.

best of my ability from my experience. was like yeah that's the. charge the judicial commissioner signed. off petitions were secured word went out. arrest these. [Music]. kids as would later be documented in. over a dozen interviews with internal. affairs investigators the arrest did not. go. smoothly well we'll go ahead and start. with May 27th 2016 it is 11 a.m.

Sergeant Craig Snider office of. professional responsibility in an office. at the local police department Tammy. Garrett the principal at a school called. hobgood Elementary sat down with two of. those investigators when did you become. aware of the uh arrests that were going. to take place at Hop good at your school. um the investigation or the arrest well. the investigation yeah we're going to. try to go on CR principal Garrett told. the investigators that officer Templeton.

had shown her the video of the fight on. a Wednesday and by Friday morning. Templeton called to say the police were. coming to hobgood to arrest some girls. who were in the. video but right away principal Garrett. was concerned partly because the kids. Templeton named well Garrett hadn't seen. all of them in the video there were kids. that I knew that I didn't see in there. that are good kids at school then I. started. thinking you know what's going you know.

what's going on I didn't see any of. those kids did she mention how she had. identified those those kids she had. talked to the some kids and the parents. is what she said and so I thought well. she's investigator Not Me Maybe things I. didn't. know still principal Garrett was worried. it was her fourth year as principal at. hopgood elementary and she'd spent those. years working hard to build trust with. parents and the kids at her school she. thought it certainly wouldn't help that. relationship if she was allowing police.

to come to the school and arrest kids. but she believed she didn't have a. choice in the. matter principal Garrett said officer. Templeton assured her the arrest. wouldn't be disruptive she said I want. to promise y'all that they weren't going. to be handcuffed and that I'll be there. I'm going to take care of this it'll be. discreet Garrett told Templeton her. preference was that the girls be. arrested before school let out she. didn't want a bunch of students in the.

hallways or the yard or in the bus lines. seeing their classmates get taken out by. police. officers but as the day wore on getting. closer to School dismissal at 2:30. officer Templeton still hadn't shown up. at hopg good instead three different. police officers. came and that's when things got. confusing crowded into the assistant. principal's office discussing what to do. next Garrett said one officer in a. tactical vest was telling her go get the.

kids but a second officer was telling. her don't go get the kids that officer. seemed to be having second thoughts. about the whole thing so he kept telling. me hey this is not right I don't think. this is right what was he specific with. anything so he said this is going to. blow up this is going to blow up you. shouldn't do this this is not right. meaning the arrests uhhuh and I don't. know what to. [Music]. do the officer telling principal Garrett.

not to go get the kids was Chris. Williams in his Internal Affairs. interview officer Williams said when he. learned what these arrests were about he. was shocked it was just like what in the. world he was like what in the world. because he'd seen the video of the fight. the night before after officer Templeton. had asked him to check it out and he. remembered when he watched it I was like. that's the egregious video that you were. talking about and she was like yeah and.

I'm like well if you follow any group of. kids that get off the bus home this is. what you going to see this is normal. behavior for most. kids then there was this all the kids in. the video were black and most of the. students at hob good were black or. Latino Williams who's also black said he. didn't think Templeton whose white was. intentionally going after these kids. because of their race. but he also said he couldn't help but.

wonder if something like this would. happen at a school that was mostly. white back in the assistant principal's. office Williams started calling up the. chain of command if not to stop the. arrests at least to slow things down. while they got some clarity on the. situation and I'm trying to call someone. to I want to say views common sense but. at least think about what we're. doing the first person Williams talked.

to was a sergeant who told him to go. forward with the arrests he then called. others to try to get a different answer. he called a lieutenant who didn't pick. up then he got through to a major who. essentially told him to just figure it. out meanwhile the officer in the room. telling Garrett to yes go get the kids. was Officer Jeff Carroll and he was. making his own phone calls Carol was a. patrol officer and a SWAT team member he. declined my interview requests but in.

his Internal Affairs interview he said. while quote nobody likes to arrest kids. at school he had his orders I had when a. sergeant tells me to do something as. long as I know it's not illegal or in my. eyes immoral I'm going to do. it so who finally said go get the kids. uh Carol what made you listen to Carol. at that point you said was they were. saying don't and do don't do he was.

probably the more aggressive one so I. went to get him principal Garrett got. three girls from their classrooms an. 11-year-old a 10-year-old and an. 8-year-old as we as I came up you know. with the hall with the girls I was kind. of trying to prepare them I said hey. guys the police are here regarding the. video you're going to have to come to. the office with me well the oldest one. was telling me hey these other two. weren't even there you know from my me.

seeing the video I didn't see them in. the video so I thought maybe she had a. pretty legitimate claim I don't know if. that's right you said this was in the. hallway yeah as we're walking up down. the hall she was like Dr G they're not. they weren't even there they weren't. even. there one of the girls even had alib by. she'd been at a pizza party with her. basketball team the day of the fight as. Garrett walked the girls into the office. she turned to the cops and said these. two weren't even there and then officer. Carol got very aggressive with me and um.

he was like right here in my face and he. pulled out the cuffs and he said uh. we're going now we're going now there's. no more talking we're going now and I. said but but but you know they she's. they said they weren't even there and he. Ste the three times me really loud and. he had the handcuffs right in my face. and he was screaming at me but he I was. scared and I didn't want to go to jail. and and so um I backed off but I was.

crying and the kids were crying and they. were screaming and reaching for me and. it was it was it was. awful the other officers in the room. don't recall screaming or yelling or. officer Carol being particularly. aggressive but they do confirm kids were. crying and emotions were running. High Principal Garrett then told the. police that one of the little girls had. diabetes and got treatment when she got. home from school Carol got on the phone.

with the sergeant who told him that the. girl could sit tight in the nurse's. office for now but the other two girls. needed to be arrested officer Carol then. turned to those two girls I told him. honey something's come. up um we have to take y'all down to the. uh juvenile detention center but don't. worry your mom and dad's going to be. able to pick you up as soon as we get. down there um of course they started. crying. the Juvenile Detention Center Jail.

basically one of the largest in the. state a two-tiered jail with dozens of. surveillance cameras 48 cells and 64. beds and contrary to what officer Carol. suggested to the girls kids who get. arrested don't always get picked up by. their mom and dad as soon as they get. there instead according to the standard. procedure they can be booked meaning. jail staff record their names and birth. dates do a 16 point Surge and then. placed them in a holding.

area inside the school office officer. Carol handcuffed the 11-year-old and she. dropped to her knees a third officer. handcuffed the 8-year-old though once. they got to the parking lot he took the. handcuffs off because he later said he. quote didn't really think she was a risk. or. anything back in the office principal. Garrett suddenly realized she forgot to. get the last girl on templeton's list. you know because when I came in with. those other three and it went crazy with.

the yelling and stuff I I realized I. never went and got the kid from that was. in the bus the kid on the bus was. 10-year-old IM marier Not only was she. the one who wrote down the names for. officer Templeton just the day before. but she was also the one in the video. saying stop stop Tay and yet Garrett was. still being told to get her so I said. she's on the bus by now they said go get. her her so I had already that time the.

man had already yelled at me I was. already crying and um they made me go. out there crying in front of all my bus. students and get her off the. bus so I was on my way home you know I. had to got out of school on my way home. this is IM Maria but miss gar she came. to get me and she had tears in her eyes. and when she Whispering my ear talking. about from the police that's when I. broke down and that's when I shut. everything out I was scared I didn't. know what what was going to happen I was. going to go to jail it was just a lot.

and I was just trying to figure out. what's going on why is this happening. what am I getting picked up. for so my sister called me and told me I. needed to get to the. school because they was trying to take. my daughter to the. detention and um I said okay I'm on my. way this again is Alexia IM Maria's mom. when I got there it was um police. officers there they had my daughter she.

was crying upset throwing up. everywhere and the police officers told. me that they had to take them downtown. they had to take her to the juvenile. detention I was like you got to take a. juvenile attention they haven't done. nothing and the they was like well this. is out of our hands you know you got. kids crying and don't want to go to the. detention don't know what they going to. the detention and you got to hand your. kids over to some.

[Music]. strangers in total 11 kids from across. the county were brought to the juvenile. detention center over that video one of. them by mistake so she was released. immediately but the other 10 kids were. processed when im Maria was taken to the. Detention Center Jail staff recorded her. name and birth date searched her. confiscated her jewelry all her small.

rings and then placed her in a holding. area I just remember been in her Cod and. hearing the sound of the buzzes go off. and the doors open and shutting and I. was. scared IM Maria and five others got to. go home the day they were arrested but. four boys two 10-year-olds an. 11-year-old and a 12-year-old they were. kept in jail overnight. two of them were held all weekend one of.

the boys told me about how he was forced. to shower in front of a guard and then. given a jumpsuit and put in a Cell alone. which was all standard procedure for. kids put in detention in ruford County. during waking hours the kids aren't. allowed to sleep I spoke to many people. who told me that if they did fall asleep. or if they were caught lying down a. guard would bang on the cell door to. wake them up or force them to stand in. the corner of their cell for long. periods of time 10 11 12y olds are kids.

who play free stag at recess they still. snuggle on the couch with their parents. and hold their hands when they get. scared in other words these were. kids more about what happened once the. rest of the county and the world got. wind of the arrests after the. break. by the time the last kid was booked into.

the juvenile detention center the news. about the arrests had gotten out a bunch. of little kids arrested some at school. with handcuffs people were. pissed outrage is spreading through one. Tennessee Community after five children. were whole 100 parents met at First. Baptist Church in Murphysboro over the. weekend demanding answers it was. Injustice to these kids it's Injustice. to the family I just I I. angry the shock spread Beyond just.

ruford County stories about the arrests. appeared in the New York Times The. Washington Post The Daily Mail fueling. the outrage it turned out that the. charge brought against the kids criminal. responsibility for conduct of another. it's not actually a charge it's a little. technical but criminal responsibility is. a legal Theory one that was. misunderstood by both officer Templeton. who launched the investigation and the. Jud IAL Commissioners who approved the.

charges the cases against the kids were. later all. dismissed soon after the arrests the. chief of police called for a thorough. investigation to get to the bottom of. what. happened of the 20 people interviewed. investigators spent the most time with. officer. Templeton so what we'll do is I'll first. start with having you start at the. beginning wherever you think the. beginning is. at okay um well as my report says on um.

4:13 at approximately 10:00 a teacher. showed me a video um officer Templeton. declined to speak with me but she spoke. to internal affairs investigators for. almost 7 hours and in those interviews. she talked about what she saw when she. first watched the video of the fight you. know the groups pushing these two little. kids to assault this other. child was it was the whole group and. they're basically all doing the same.

thing at some point someone could have. went and got an adult I'm not saying. jump in and physically stop the fight. but they could have went and got an. adult but no one did. anything so you felt obligated to to try. and arrest as many of those kids as. possible I did not feel obligated at. that point to arrest anyone I felt. obligated to investigate it if the. detective division wasn't going to okay. for much of this interview the tone of.

Craig Snyder the lead investigator is. what I describe as perplexed over how. arrest this unusual could happen in the. first place but to officer Templeton she. seems to think the arrests were all. pretty straightforward in her view she. was just doing her job there's an. assault here there's a victim here. juvenile court is about Rehabilitation. and I felt like I needed to do something. to help these kids. if I can get them in front of the judge.

maybe she can put some services in the. home par I don't know whatever it's. about. Rehabilitation did anybody at any. point did anybody at any point any. supervisor did any of them at any point. tell you no you're not going to do this. no no one ever said no no one ever said. you. know. leave it alone no one ever said to me.

that they knew why I was doing what I. was. doing. so if if someone told me no. stop I would have. stopped so you wouldn't change the the. way you did any of this having the. knowledge that I have today knowing that. all of this has turned into this yes I. would by this I assume officer Templeton.

is referring to many things the public. relations disaster that had played out. on the local news the fact that it turns. out the kids were arrested on a charge. that doesn't even exist and that she's. probably definitely getting in trouble. for this entire Fiasco which he later. did a 3-day suspension but even still. Templeton tells the investigators if we. reverse taking away all of the knowledge. that I've learned the last six weeks no. I. I would do it the say may I did.

it this is one of the most striking. things I came across in my reporting the. difference in perception between those. on the outside of this juvenile system. and those on the inside to the general. public arresting a bunch of children and. throwing them in jail for watching a. fight seemed among other things way out. of line but to many insiders like. officer Templeton or the sergeant who. backed her up the arrest made sense same.

for the judicial Commissioners even the. juvenile judge her response to the. arrest was quote we are in a crisis with. our children in ruford County I've never. seen it this. bad it's hard to change a system when. the Insiders running that system don't. see a problem with it but there. definitely was a. problem in the Years leading up to the. arrests at hobet elementary Rutherford.

County's own data showed that it was. jailing a staggering number of kids the. county had been warned about it actually. years before a consultant had told. County officials that they were jailing. kids at more than three times the state. average still nothing changed in fact. the numbers just kept going up which. meant for the kids of Rutherford County. getting sent to juv detention was almost. a right of passage a normal part of.

childhood in many cases what it also was. was. illegal this is the story of how that. system came to be how it came to be. built and how it came to be accepted. laed even it's also the story of the two. insiders former juvenile delinquents. themselves who actually did see the. problem in ru County what it was doing. to kids they just needed other people to.

see it. too that's next time on the kids of. Rutherford. [Music]. County the kids of Rutherford County is. a co-production of Serial Productions. the New York Times propublica and. Nashville Public Radio it was reported.

by me marab Bight with additional. reporting from Ken. Armstrong the show is produced by Daniel. gimt with additional production by. Michelle Navaro editing from Julie. Snyder and Jen Guera along with Sarah. Blain and Ken Armstrong at propublica. and my colleague Tony Gonzalez at. Nashville Public Radio additional. editing from Anita bajo and Alex. kollwitz the supervisor producer for. serial Productions is end chubu research.

and factchecking by Ben faen with. additional factchecking by Naomi sharp. sound design music supervision and. mixing by Phoebe Wang the original score. for our show is from the blasting. company Susan wesling is our standards. editor and legal review from Dana green. alamine sumar and Simone prus the art. for our show comes from Pablo delcon. additional production from Janelle Pier.

Mac Miller is the executive assistant. for cereal Sam dolnick is the Deputy. managing editor of the New York Times. special thanks to the folks at. propublica including Steven engleberg. Charles orstein Susan Carroll Alex Meer. Jesy and Hannah fesus and at Nashville. Public Radio thanks to Emily serer the. kids of Rutherford County is produced by. serial Productions the New York Times.

propublica and Nashville Public. [Music]. Radio.