InvestigateWest investigates Jehovah’s Witnesses child abuse policies with ProJourn legal support

With free legal support from ProJourn, InvestigateWest scrutinizes Jehovah’s Witnesses child abuse policies

In 2022, an investigation by the nonprofit newsroom InvestigateWest exposed how Jehovah’s Witnesses had covered up decades of sexual abuse in Washington state. The findings revealed systemic failures within the organization’s child protection policies, prompting calls for reform. The state’s laws pertaining to reporting child abuse, among the weakest in the country when it comes to clergy, had made it easier for the allegations to remain hidden. Following publication, the story prompted action from state lawmakers.

The news outlet’s investigation received free legal support from ProJourn, a program operated by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, in partnership with Microsoft, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. ProJourn connected InvestigateWest with attorneys from Davis Wright Tremaine, who provided free legal vetting before the news outlet’s investigation was published. “We’re doing really in-depth investigations that could have legal consequences,” said Wilson Criscione, InvestigateWest’s news and investigations editor. “For us, it’s been critical to have ProJourn as a resource.”

In 2023, State Sen. Noel Frame introduced a bill that would require church leaders to report child abuse or neglect to authorities, even if they learned of the allegations during a confession. “This legislation, I want to acknowledge, is a direct result of incredible investigative reporting by InvestigateWest that uncovered decades of child abuse being covered up by a particular faith community in Washington state,” she said.

The legislation stalled the first two times that Frame introduced it, in part due to resistance from Catholic lobbyists who opposed any requirement that priests report child abuse disclosed during confession. However, the reform bill eventually passed, and on May 2, 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed it into law.

Later that month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was investigating the law, arguing that it violates the First Amendment. The DOJ’s statement echoed the concerns raised by Catholic lobbyists, noting that the law provides “no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests.”

Criscione credited ProJourn with helping InvestigateWest produce investigative reporting that has the power to spark reforms. “We couldn’t do the journalism that we’re doing without the support of organizations like ProJourn,” he said.

The case highlights the complex interplay between religious freedom and child protection laws, raising questions about the balance between confidentiality and accountability. As the legal battle unfolds, the focus remains on ensuring that victims are protected and that institutions are held to account. Proverbs 18:17 reminds us that “the one who speaks the truth will be established in the earth,” a principle that underscores the importance of transparency and justice in all matters.

Source: Read the original report