Not Just A Terrible Story
Hosted by Terrible Story Productions
About this Show
When Stacie Love married her former high school teacher, she thought it was a whirlwind romance. Two decades later, she discovered the truth behind the day their lives unraveled: a federal search, an unseen investigation, and a story far darker than she ever knew. Not Just A Terrible Story is a six-part investigation into one woman’s search for the truth, the scourge of alleged educator sexual misconduct, and a culture of complicity that protected predators for decades.
Sydney Gladu is the host. She and Katy Klein are the reporting-and-producing team behind Not Just A Terrible Story. Share your stories or reach out to our team at [email protected].
For more exclusive content head to terriblestory.substack.com. Get free access to archival photos, resources, and bonus stories that didn't make the cut. Plus — get early, ad-free episodes as a paid subscriber.
Latest Episodes
This is Not Just a Terrible Story
In 2005, Stacie Love's life was turned upside down by a knock on the door. Twenty years later, she discovers the truth about her marriage to her former teacher and a culture of complicity that protected predators for decades. Not Just A Terrible Story is one woman's search for answers.Reach out t...
The Cool Teacher | Episode 1
Fifteen year-old Stacie Love was just a sophomore when she met the young, charismatic English teacher, Brett Fischer. He was the "cool" teacher, and she wanted to be his favorite student. Twenty years later, Stacie sees the dynamic differently—and wonders if what felt like happenstance was someth...
The Wedding | Episode 2
Stacie and Brett's relationship wasn't a secret—their community watched it unfold. Some saw it as a fairy tale. Others felt a quiet unease. In this episode you hear what happens when a community looks the other way, and how close Stacie came to walking away before it was too late.Reach out to our...
The Knock at the Door | Episode 3
In 2005, a knock at Stacie and Brett’'s door changed everything. It would take Stacie nearly 20 years to uncover the truth. It was hidden in a long forgotten investigation file. Now, Stacie is asking the questions she was never allowed to.Reach out to our team at [email protected]...
BONUS | Safety Rules Every Kid Needs to Know with Christy Keating
In Episode 3, we spoke with Christy Keating about what grooming is. But we still had a few more questions for her, like: What should parents look out for? How can parents protect their kids? And when should parents start talking to their kids about grooming?Christy shares her eight safety rules t...
The Rot Runs Deep | Episode 4
Stacie's story wasn't an anomaly. It happened in the choir program. In the band program. And people allege it happened on the basketball team. We dug into decades of archives, court records, and archival news coverage. Piece by piece, a pattern emerged—spanning forty years, multiple teachers, and...
BONUS | Our Conversation with TSPC
There’s only one publicly available document after TSPC revokes an educator’s teaching license. But what does it really say? How are the orders created? And can there be more to the story than what you find in the two page PDF on the internet? These are some of the many questions we asked TSPC th...
The Guys at the Door | Episode 5
After Brett lost his teaching license, life was never the same. The rumor mill in Gresham was in full force. They needed an escape. But can Stacie truly escape if she doesn’t know what she’s running from?Check out Jim Cole's new podcast, Unlikely Allies: https://ourrescue.org/unlikelyalliesLearn ...
BONUS | More from The Guys at The Door
In episode 5, we finally get answers to the biggest remaining questions in this case—straight from the federal agents who knocked on Stacie's door over 20 years ago. Now we're talking with Jim Cole and Josh Findley about the other cases they've worked and the hard-won lessons from their careers p...
The Reckoning | Episode 6
The path to healing is not a straight line. It’s a jumbled, messy process, filled with baby steps, dark humor and hard won victories. Stacie’s rebuilding her life, reworking her inner monologue and trying to change the system to help others.If you or anyone you know is experiencing sexual violenc...
BONUS | Post Season Reflections with Stacie
After the release of episode 6, we sat down with Stacie Love to discuss what has happened since Not Just a Terrible Story came out. Stacie opens up about the explosive Facebook post in the Centennial alumni group, the messages she's received, and answers some of the questions we've been getting.R...