Prosecutor won’t charge reporter who uncovered database flaw

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A Missouri prosecutor will not charge a St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist who exposed a state database flaw that allowed public access to thousands of teachers’ Social Security numbers.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson released a statement Friday saying the issues at the heart of the investigation have been resolved through non-legal means.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson announced the investigation in October after a Post-Dispatch reporter informed the state of a significant data issue that left the teachers’ data vulnerable to public disclosure.

The newspaper held off publishing a story about the flaw until the state fixed it.