This September and October, join NHPR Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 12 p.m. to hear The 13th Step, a new podcast from NHPR’s award-winning Document team.
It started with a tip. Eventually, multiple sources said it was an open secret: The founder of New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment network was sexually harassing or assaulting women – allegations he denies.
How did he get away with it? That question led investigative reporter Lauren Chooljian on a journey into the American addiction treatment industry. She found a longstanding – and long tolerated – culture of sexual misconduct. A phenomenon people in the recovery world call “the 13th step.”
This new seven-part series – from the team who made hit podcasts Bear Brook and Stranglehold – explains why that misconduct remains unpoliceable. And why America can’t truly address the addiction crisis until it takes “the 13th step” seriously. It also gets personal — illustrating the danger for journalists and their sources, when they expose alleged wrongdoing by powerful people.
The 13th Step is for anyone who has been touched by the addiction crisis, who cares about the fate of the #MeToo movement, or who seeks out gripping audio storytelling. Listen now here or wherever you get your podcasts.
