15 Dayton Daily News investigations that had an impact in 2025

1. Nonprofit CEO compensation

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Nonprofit executive compensation was a subject of Dayton Daily News investigations in 2025.

That work started in January, with an investigation that found the Dayton Art Institute gave large pay increases to its leaders while facing financial challenges that led to staff reductions.

In response, the DAI reduced pay for its top executive. He stepped down from the job in October.

Our investigations continued. Reporters obtained IRS nonprofit filing data to identify the largest nonprofits in our region and went through publicly available filings to create a database of revenue and compensation trends over three years for 100 of the largest.

Our reporting found:

2. State Rep. Rodney Creech

Credit: Rodney Creech

Credit: Rodney Creech

The Dayton Daily News in May published an investigation revealing allegations concerning state Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria.

We found a state investigation of alleged sexual misconduct involving Creech concluded in October 2024 with no criminal charges but findings of “concerning and suspicious” behavior by the state lawmaker.

Creech continues to deny any wrongdoing and is running for the Ohio Senate. But upon learning of the allegations, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman asked Creech to resign before removing him from his committee posts.

Our investigation also raised questions about how Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson and then-prosecutor Martin Votel — who both later recused themselves from the case due to their relationships with Creech — originally handled the allegations against Creech.

Local Republican leaders continued to support Creech’s reelection campaign last year despite having knowledge of the criminal investigation. This includes state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., who backed Creech as chairman of the Montgomery County GOP after being interviewed by state investigators as part of the Creech investigation.

Plummer called the allegations against Creech “disgusting” and has since announced he is running for state Senate against Creech, and sponsored legislation that would make all Ohio elected officials mandated child abuse reporters.

3. 7-year-old boy found dead

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

In July, Dayton police found the remains of Hershall Creachbaum Jr., a 7-year-old autistic boy from Dayton, on a wooded hill near U.S. 35. Hershall had been reported missing earlier that day.

A grand jury indicted his mother, Ashley Johnson, on one count of obstructing justice and her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, on two counts of tampering with evidence and three counts of gross abuse of a corpse.

Authorities say Kendrick allegedly punched and struck Hershall when he was drinking and got into an argument on the phone. Kendrick claimed Hershall died the next day in the shower, according to court records.

The Dayton Daily News investigated the actions of agencies meant to keep Hershall safe, including Dayton police and children services agencies in Clark and Montgomery counties.

Our investigation found school staff reportedly called police and children services agencies multiple times with concerns about Kendrick’s drinking and Hershall’s safety. We found Kendrick had a long history of domestic violence and alleged substance abuse.

A state review found children services agencies did not follow proper procedures in handling Hershall’s case. Montgomery and Clark counties are now facing a lawsuit brought by Hershall’s estate.

4. School bus driver charged with sex crimes

A former school bus driver who worked for more than half a dozen local schools and school districts was indicted in July on seven counts of rape, 64 counts of sexual battery and one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors say Matthew Hunt’s abuse of children spanned decades.

Hunt worked for at least seven area school districts, including one from which he resigned after being accused of sexually inappropriate conduct with a student, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.

Hunt resigned from Vandalia-Butler City Schools in 2009 days after a scheduled pre-disciplinary hearing following accusations of inappropriate conversations and contact with students, according to records obtained by the Dayton Daily News.

Hunt went on to work at Eaton Community Schools where notes in his personnel file suggest that someone with the district in 2011 learned about allegations that Hunt “was having a sexually explicit relationship with a 14-year-old boy” while at Vandalia.

Records obtained by the Dayton Daily News showed that Northmont City Schools and Englewood police officials reviewed a tip in 2021 that Hunt had engaged in inappropriate behavior with a high school student.

Four former students from Northmont City Schools who say they were groomed and sexually assaulted by Hunt over multiple years filed a lawsuit that claims the school district should have known he posed a risk to children and administrators could have prevented some of his crimes.

Hunt’s trial is scheduled for June.

5. Childcare inspections

The Dayton Daily News this year investigated how the state of Ohio oversees daycare centers. We found daycare centers in Ohio are licensed by the Department of Children and Youth, which conducts inspections annually and when complaints arise. DCY revokes about 20 licenses a year, officials there say.

A police investigation into injuries suffered in July by three infants at a top-rated Huber Heights child care center showed a lack of documentation, lapses in leadership and improper state reporting, according to records obtained by the Dayton Daily News.

Four area childcare centers — one in Springboro, two in Dayton and one in Harrison Twp. — were notified since the beginning of 2024 they could lose their licenses to operate, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of state licensing data.

In one case, a child was reportedly left on a bus for more than 5.5 hours. In another, inspectors allegedly found the center had created and posted a fake fire inspection report.

Our investigation found tools meant to help the public make informed decisions are lacking. The daycare center in Huber Heights had a gold star rating while it faced a lawsuit and a former worker faced criminal charges after three infants were injured.

6. Dayton crime

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

Our reporters set out to investigate what neighborhoods in Dayton saw the most gun violence in recent years and what the Dayton Police Department is doing about it.

What we found is that gun violence has plagued the same neighborhoods for a quarter century, and city leaders say the problem will take more than just police work.

Our reporters mapped where gun violence occurred over the last two years, comparing that to data from Dayton police showing what three neighborhoods have been violent crime hot spots for more than 25 years.

The Dayton Daily News sat down for an extended interview with Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal to ask what the city is doing to address violent crime in these neighborhoods.

Afzal, along with experts and multiple studies, says the biggest contributing factor to violent crime is poverty and historical segregation.

Dayton neighborhoods with the most violent gun crimes last year are predominantly Black and tend to have higher poverty and housing vacancy rates and lower levels of educational attainment and employment than the city overall, according to this newspaper’s analysis of U.S. Census data.

7. Fuyao investigation

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

Members of Congress have proposed legislation that would pressure the Department of Justice to explain what it’s doing to address concerns about illegal labor practices by automotive glass producers tied to the Chinese Communist Party.

This follows our investigations into allegations of illegal staffing and money laundering connected to Moraine-based Fuyao Glass America.

In April, the Dayton Daily News reported that civil filings allege a sophisticated money laundering operation that paid over $126 million by Fuyao. Federal court records say the civil case was stayed “pending completion of criminal case.” But no one has been publicly charged criminally in connection to the case.

Later that month, the Dayton Daily News talked to a security guard who worked at Fuyao before, during and after the raid about “red flags” he saw working there. Our reporting raised questions about who knew what and when about the alleged criminal network.

8. Immigration enforcement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Ohio skyrocketed in the first six months of this year as President Donald Trump made good on his pledge to dramatically ramp up immigration enforcement, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of ICE data.

This increased enforcement may not be visible to the public because instead of high-profile raids or sweeps in Ohio cities, federal agents were scooping up people from local jails, many of whom are awaiting trial or release.

Many people taken into custody by ICE in this region are taken to the Butler County Jail under a contract between that county and the feds. Our reporting also looked at the conditions at the Butler County Jail, and how most ICE inmates there aren’t facing criminal charges.

9. Dayton city manager pay

Dayton’s city manager has gone without an annual performance evaluation for three years as her pay has steadily risen, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.

As part of our Dayton Daily News Payroll Project, the Dayton Daily News analyzed payroll for Dayton and its largest suburbs this year.

We found Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein’s pay grew to $284,232 in recent years despite no vote or performance review by city commission since 2022. This puts Dayton at odds with its largest suburbs, Kettering and Beavercreek.

Our Payroll Project also revealed how much public employees are paid in the largest local counties and cities.

10. Election losers given county jobs

Credit: Jim Bebbington

Credit: Jim Bebbington

Local politicians and candidates who lost races in the 2024 election were quickly awarded jobs with other local governments, Dayton Daily News investigations found.

After losing reelection in November 2024, former longtime county commissioner Debbie Lieberman was offered a job by Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley on Dec. 3 for a job that was created Dec. 1, according to records obtained by the Dayton Daily News.

Dayton Public Schools said they had no responsive records related to Stacey Benson-Taylor applying for a job there — or the job being publicly posted — before she was hired in December after being voted out of office as Montgomery County recorder.

A candidate who ran for a contested Montgomery County commission seat in the fall, Kate Baker, was hired by the newly elected Montgomery County Recorder the same day she applied for the job, another investigation found.

11. Assessing tax credits

The Dayton Daily News is committed to watching your tax dollars. This year, that has included taking a critical look at two prominent tax credit programs.

As of early 2025, the state had 177 tax exemptions, credits or deductions worth more than $12 billion a year, which would amount to more than a quarter of the revenue the state collects, according to a report from Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning think tank.

In October, we looked at the pros and cons of Job Creation Tax Credits, totaling hundreds of millions of Ohio taxpayer dollars. Program supporters credit the program with some of the largest job creation projects in Ohio, but critics say it’s a waste of money.

This month, we analyzed the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit program and found the program has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits over the years. Some Republicans and Democrats alike question its value, but supporters say it helps Ohio’s film industry and puts the state in the national spotlight.

12. Small villages at risk

Credit: David Sherman

Credit: David Sherman

A Dayton Daily News investigation found at least 28 villages across southwest Ohio — from Millville in Butler County to Fletcher in Miami County or Catawba in Clark County — may cease to exist as villages in a couple years.

This is because of a new law that created requirements villages must meet to prevent a dissolution vote after the 2030 Census. Our analysis found these villages already failed the test.

Our findings came as a surprise to some village leaders.

Some village officials might think they’re providing enough public services to pass an audit because they’re unaware of the law’s caveats. For example, a village may think it offers fire protection because it’s home to a township fire station, but the bill specifies that the village cannot rely on another government’s services. This applies to police, fire, EMS, water, and sewer services.

13. Private school performance

A Dayton Daily News analysis of state test scores found that some public school districts where lots of parents use taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their kids to private schools actually perform better than the private schools in the district.

The Dayton Daily News compared proficiency test score data — English and math scores from grades 3-8 — from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for 58 private schools and 24 local school districts across the region.

While private schools in low-performing districts like Dayton, Springfield and Middletown tend to outperform the local school district, we found Ohio taxpayers are subsidizing private schools in the suburbs that don’t perform as well as the nearby public schools.

Use of EdChoice private school vouchers has increased dramatically in recent years, now costing the state nearly $1 billion a year after Ohio lawmakers expanded eligibility to every family in Ohio.

14. Griffin Academy

A Dayton Daily News investigation found a proposed Englewood school for teens in the foster care system is at least the seventh time in two different states the academy’s founder has attempted to open such a facility.

Previous tries, dating back 22 years, ended in failure and often litigation.

The project is currently privately funded. The founder of Griffin Academy — a for-profit LLC — says she is in contact with state officials and government agencies to access public funds, though some of those agencies dispute her version of events.

15. New Lebanon

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

Dysfunction in the village of New Lebanon was the subject of numerous in-depth reports in 2025. From improper payments to employees, to legal settlements, to the hiring of a police officer under investigation by the city of Dayton.

Our reporting found that new village leadership elected in 2023 led to a flurry of allegations of misdealing and wasteful spending against the previous administration, unexpected and broad stroke firings, and public displays of disdain aimed at political adversaries.

The village became, in short, a study in how electoral populism can lead to political dysfunction.