Reporters, like fishermen, have tales of the big one that got away.
For journalists, it's the fascinating story that didn't get written. Most likely the reporter got too busy and the story lost its timeliness.
But unlike anglers, we can sometimes track where the big one went. And the path sometimes takes wild twists and turns nobody could imagine.

That's the case with the Jackie Lewis story. I know now why reporters never throw away their old notebooks.
Back in the spring of 2007, the Highline School District was preparing to open its second set of small high schools on the Evergreen High campus in White Center. Tyee in SeaTac had gone first.

For more than a century, comprehensive high schools were the norm. Students took a variety of required courses and electives by moving around to six different classrooms with six different teachers during the school day. It worked reasonably well for white middle-class kids like me with stable home lives and educated parents.

But the small schools concept promised a student, especially a low-income, minority or refugee youth, a better way where he would be a member of a themed academy with a small group of fellow students. He would have a few teachers who knew and cared about him personally. The teachers wouldn't give up on him and wouldn't allow the student to give up on himself.
Eric Hong, who as a young immigrant started as an English as Second Language student in the Highline district, was named principal of Evergreen's Technology, Engineering and Communications Academy.

What a great story! What an inspiring lesson for refugee students, especially young Asians, about what they could achieve in America.
That was a big story that didn't get written.

But, wait a minute. Evergreen Vice Principal Jackie Lewis, an African American, had headed up planning for the TEC Academy.
Lewis was ranked first among the three candidates who applied for the principal position, Seattle employment attorney Moni Law told school board members. He met all published standards for the job but was told he didn't have enough technology experience.
With the switch to small schools, Lewis was being transferred out of Evergreen after 13 years.

At several school board meetings, Evergreen parents and students testified that Lewis was a tireless supporter of Evergreen's athletic programs and ethnic communities as well as being an excellent student mentor.
Pastor Tom Colby said Lewis was known as "Mr. Evergreen."

Evergreen parent Rick Solomon noted that while at the White Center school, Lewis had been the district's most outstanding employee.
"(Lewis) has street credibility," Solomon added. "Older teens relate to him."

Tiffany Tran, Evergreen student body president, told board members, "You are dismissing an outstanding man."
Lewis brought his attorney into a closed door meeting with board members to appeal his case. That does not endear you to your bosses, especially if a sticky situation arises later.

In the end, although they agreed Lewis was "a great guy, they backed their superintendent.
Lewis was assigned as an assistant principal at Highline High and that largely untold big story became stale.
When big budget shortfalls loom, the first area people demand be cut is administration. So, overseeing all of the district's athletic and activities programs was added on to Lewis' duties as an assistant principal.

Then in April of this year, all hell broke loose.
A school nurse reported to her supervisor that Jayson Boehm, hired to provide first aid at athletic events bur certainly not a doctor, had signed a medical excuse for a student.

At about the same time, a sheriff's deputy informed the district Boehm was being investigated for inappropriately touching an adult boxer at a Police Athletic League event held at Evergreen.
The district quickly investigated and learned Boehm provided sports physicals, including the handling of genitals, for about 50 Evergreen male students.

Lewis, the district's athletic director, as well Daylene Boehm, Evergreen athletic director and Jayson's sister (!), were placed on leave.
Soon after, a level three sex offender was discovered volunteering at Evergreen's football spring practice.
I'm not privy to the district's investigation or personnel files, so I am now descending the slippery slope of speculation.
But it seems to me if "Mr. Evergreen" had still been at the school the past few years and continued to be as involved in its athletic programs and the mentoring of older teens, Lewis might have caught some of these ongoing problems.
Finally, overseeing all of a district's athletic programs on top of serving as an assistant principal in a culturally diverse high school seems like an impossible job.

So where are they now?

Lewis has filed a $500,000 claim against the district charging age, sex and racial discrimination.
Daylene Boehm has a continuing contract with the district and is slated to teach in an elementary school this fall.
Jayson Boehm is awaiting possible criminal charges to be filed by King County prosecutors.
Damon Hunter was named the new assistant principal at Highline High, replacing Lewis. If those glowing reports from his former job as a Federal Way principal are accurate, Hunter may become "Mr. Highline." In fact, he has already made a stunning rise in a short time. On Aug. 4, Suerintendent John Welch announced Hunter has been appointed interim principal at Highline after Michael Fosberg moved over to become principal at Marvista Elementary.

The district really lucked out by getting a former Washington state and Northwest region athletic director of the year as its new athletic coordinator. Terri McMahan retired because of a personal tragedy but is ready to come back to work.

So, at least part of the big story has now been written. Were there enough wild twists and turns for you?