WASHINGTON — Nathan Baca's reporting for WUSA9 revealed evidence that federal police officers tear-gassed protesters at Lafayette Square Park June 2020. His investigations also uncovered the presence of potentially toxic lead levels in the crumb rubber flooring of many DC Public school playgrounds.
Nathan arrived in Washington in 2017, working as an investigative reporter at another station. His “Faking The Grade” series of reports exposed widespread grade and attendance record tampering in D.C.’s public and charter school systems.
In Columbus, Ohio, Nathan’s investigations created national policy changes in how Catholic seminaries admitted aspiring priests. He also highlighted major problems that allowed criminals to remain off the record in Ohio’s background check systems.
In Las Vegas, Nathan’s political coverage of the 2010 US Senate race received national attention after his tough questioning of the then-Senate Majority Leader and his general election challenger.
Nathan got his start in Palm Springs, California. His first investigative series, “The Octopus Murders,” started with the 2005 murder-suicide of a district attorney’s investigator and his family. It ended with a cold-case arrest of a suspect in a 1981 assassination on Indian tribal land. Nathan's book on the investigations, “Devil’s Ladder,” is finished and awaiting publication. He also was also among the first to investigate alleged abuses at the Church of Scientology’s world headquarters.
Nathan received the 2013 duPont-Columbia Silver Baton award for his part in the documentary series “Desert Underwater.” It chronicled the impacts of the foreclosure crisis in Southern Nevada. He has also been awarded ten investigative Emmys.
Nathan lives in Germantown with his toddler boy, Oliver. He enjoys hiking, and visiting the many historical sites, breweries and vineyards in the area. He’s a nerd at heart who can get into arcane discussions about Star Trek episodes. His favorite music is jazz. Nathan will fight anyone who disagrees that trumpeter Miles Davis is the greatest musician to ever walk the earth.
Ask Nathan questions about his investigations on Reddit by contacting u/NathanBacaNews, find Instagram pics at NathanBacaNews or get a stream of investigative story updates on Twitter from @NathanBacaTV.
