As Isolde looks through records on Mr. Hudson from Seattle Public Schools, she comes across a document describing a photograph of Hudson and two students at a mountain lake near Seattle. All three of them are naked.

Isolde learns that back in 1994, before she attended Garfield, this photo spurred a separate investigation into Hudson's relationship with students. But ultimately, records say the boy told investigators it was no big deal. 

Years down the line, that changes. Isolde finds an email from the same boy, now an adult, claiming he was ready to go on record about how Hudson abused him. While interviewing other Post 84 members, Isolde discovers the student’s identity and interviews him. His account of grooming and abuse matches with Ocean Mason's ... with a surprise revelation. 

Today, he, Ocean, and Jonathan Hill know that Tom has influenced who they are, for good and for ill. So how do they make sense of that influence now? 

This episode includes graphic descriptions of animal cruelty and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs support, text the word HOPE to 64673. If you live in King County, you can contact the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center at 888.998.6423. Please take care while listening.

Get in touch with the team by email at focus@kuow.org. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating atkuow.org/donate/focus.

Adults in the Room is part of FOCUS, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. It is hosted by Isolde Raftery. Original reporting by Isolde Raftery,Jeannie Yandel, andWill James. Our producers are Will James andAlec Cowan. Our editor is Jeannie Yandel. Music by BC Campbell. Additional music by Alec Cowan.  

 

As Isolde looks through records on Mr. Hudson from Seattle Public Schools, she comes across a document describing a photograph of Hudson and two students at a mountain lake near Seattle. All three of them are naked.
Isolde learns that back in 1994, before she attended Garfield, this photo spurred a separate investigation into Hudson's relationship with students. But ultimately, records say the boy told investigators it was no big deal.&nbsp;
Years down the line, that changes. Isolde finds an email from the same boy, now an adult, claiming he was ready to go on record about how Hudson abused him. While interviewing other Post 84 members, Isolde discovers the student&rsquo;s identity and interviews him. His account of grooming and abuse matches with Ocean Mason's ... with a surprise revelation.&nbsp;
Today, he, Ocean, and Jonathan Hill know that Tom has influenced who they are, for good and for ill. So how do they make sense of that influence now?&nbsp;
This episode includes graphic descriptions of animal cruelty and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs support, text the word HOPE to 64673. If you live in King County, you can contact the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center at 888.998.6423. Please take care while listening.
Get in touch with the team by email at <a href="mailto:focus@kuow.org">focus@kuow.org</a>. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at<a href="https://donate.kuow.org/donate/focus"> kuow.org/donate/focus</a>.
Adults in the Room is part of FOCUS, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. It is hosted by <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/isolde-raftery">Isolde Raftery</a>. Original reporting by Isolde Raftery,<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/jeannie-yandel"> Jeannie Yandel</a>, and<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/will-james"> Will James</a>. Our producers are Will James and<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan"> Alec Cowan.</a> Our editor is Jeannie Yandel. Music by BC Campbell. Additional music by Alec Cowan.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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New Season "We Keep Us Safe" starting September 21, 2026.

In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved. In this eight-part series, first published on NPR’s Embedded, KUOW’s Will James and The Seattle Times’ Sydney Brownstone track down key figures and eyewitnesses from the night of the shooting and surface crucial evidence that has never been made public.

We Keep Us Safe is a joint production of KUOW, The Seattle Times, and NPR’s Embedded.

Focus is KUOW’s home for immersive audio documentaries. Each season zooms in on a single story that challenges commonly held narratives about life in the Pacific Northwest and reveals something bigger about American society. Series include Adults in the Room and the Peabody-nominated Lost Patients.

New Season "We Keep Us Safe" starting September 21, 2026.
In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved.&nbsp;In this eight-part series, first published on NPR&rsquo;s&nbsp;Embedded, KUOW&rsquo;s Will James and The Seattle Times&rsquo; Sydney Brownstone track down key figures and eyewitnesses from the night of the shooting and surface crucial evidence that has never been made public.
We Keep Us Safe&nbsp;is a joint production of KUOW, The Seattle Times, and NPR&rsquo;s Embedded.
Focus is KUOW&rsquo;s home for immersive audio documentaries. Each season zooms in on a single story that challenges commonly held narratives about life in the Pacific Northwest and reveals something bigger about American society. Series include Adults in the Room and the Peabody-nominated Lost Patients.

Focus: We Keep Us Safe

Isolde discovers a mystery student’s identity from 1994 and interviews him about his time with Tom Hudson. 