Truth, Lies, and Second Chances

Last year, a journalist's attempted comeback from a 25-year-old plagiarism scandal was canceled by new charges of misconduct. Now, a lawsuit claims she was wronged.

In October 2020, The Atlantic published a long feature, bylined “Ruth S. Barrett,” titled “The Mad, Mad World of Niche Sports: Among Ivy League-Obsessed Parents.” The piece chronicled the mad scramble by some suburban parents to use “boutique sports” like fencing, lacrosse, and squash to give their children a leg up in admissions to elite universities. …