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Adults in the Room: Jonathan

March 17, 2026·40 min·2 clips

Jonathan refuses to say goodbye during Tom Hudson’s suicide call, then promises he will call tomorrow.

1. Adults in the Room: Jonathan examines Jonathan Hill’s relationship with Garfield High School teacher Tom Hudson through Post 84. 2. Isolde Raftery reports the story and interviews Jonathan Hill, a former Post 84 president who was 17 during Hudson’s investigation and suicide crisis. 3. The episode asks how a teenager became responsible for protecting an adult mentor while processing Hudson’s alleged abuse of students. 4. Tom Hudson recruited Jonathan Hill as a quiet freshman and repeatedly “voluntold” him for Post 84 activities. 5. Jonathan says Hudson’s pressure initially helped him develop confidence and recognize abilities he did not see in himself. 6. After racquetball, Hudson directed Jonathan to shower without a swimsuit, and Jonathan chose the farthest shower while keeping his swimsuit on. 7. Jonathan later saw Hudson pressure other boys to shower naked and heard that Hudson slapped boys’ buttocks in the shower. 8. Jonathan avoided Hudson’s Mount Olympus trip and became concerned when Hudson used a personal boat for isolated Post 84 activities. 9. After the school district began an investigation, Jonathan told Hudson about it at Garfield and heard Hudson say he wanted to keep his eyes closed and never open them again. 10. Jonathan visited Hudson’s boat in Ballard, where Hudson described a plan to drown himself in Puget Sound using a boat, alcohol, and a scuba weight belt. 11. Jonathan says Hudson told him that thinking about the students stopped him from carrying out that plan. 12. Hudson later called Jonathan to say goodbye, and Jonathan used reassurance and a promise of another call to keep the conversation going. 13. Jonathan suffered a panic attack after the first suicide call and feared he alone could prevent Hudson’s death. 14. During a later call, Jonathan attempted to transfer his “life energy” to Hudson before saying goodbye when his efforts failed. 15. Jonathan eventually told Hudson he could no longer provide crisis support, and Hudson stopped calling after agreeing to respect the boundary. 16. After Hudson died by suicide, Jonathan told about 20 Post 84 students the news when no adult arrived to lead the gathering. 17. Jonathan helped promote Hudson’s public legacy while placing the abuse, suicide calls, shame, and confusion into what he called a box. 18. The episode uses first-person interview testimony, archival recollections, reported investigation, and scenes from Post 84 memorials. 19. Listeners interested in survivor testimony, institutional responsibility, and coercive mentorship. 20. Listeners avoiding detailed abuse and suicide discussions may skip it.

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