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Seg. 1: Shawnee Mission's New Superintendent. Seg. 2: Ryan Stokes Family's Quest For Justice.

Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR 89.3
The cross Narene Stokes wears around her neck belonged to her son Ryan, who was killed by Kansas City police five years ago.

Segment 1: New Shawnee Mission schools superintendent on his plans for the district. 

Shawnee Mission School District is becoming increasingly diverse, a trend the district expects to continue. New at the helm of the demographically-shifting district is Superintendent Michael Fulton, who comes to the job after 11 years heading up a smaller district in the St. Louis area. Today, Fulton explained how he plans to address existing issues in the school district, including state funding insecurity, an understaffed special education department and a freedom of speech lawsuit.

Segment 2, starting at 20:26: Family of Ryan Stokes still searches for justice, five years after Kansas City police killed him.

Ryan Stokes spent the night he died with friends in Kansas City's Power and Light district. After being accused of stealing a cellphone, Stokes and a friend became the targets of a foot chase that ended when police shot and killed Stokes, who was 24 years old. Accounts of what happened that night, five years ago this week, differ between officers and witnesses. In the second part of our program, we learned about the answers and justice for which the Stokes family is still waiting.

  • Narene Stokes, Ryan Stokes' mother
  • Cyndy Short, Stokes family attorney
  • Peggy Lowe, KCUR investigative editor
Michelle is a reporter covering race, identity and culture and is an assistant talk show producer.