DBI inspector who failed shoddy work is fired

Good afternoon!

Hey, Mission Local just won 12 honors at the California Journalism Awards, including two first place wins for in-depth reporting and informational graphics about last year’s election coverage. Take a look at all the outstanding stories that won awards. Congratulations to the entire staff, and big thanks to Mission Local’s faithful readers and donors who support this work!

Joe Eskenazi has the story of the last Black building inspector in San Francisco, who was abruptly fired after being told his reports were too detailed. Read about the pressure on DBI inspectors to “keep things moving”—and about those envelopes of cash.

For the back story, you can study Mission Local’s reporting over the years on the strange and terrible culture at the Department of Building Inspection.

In better school news, did you see that SFUSD reversed the impending layoffs of 34 school counselors and 117 paraeducators? The state-appointed advisor overseeing hiring backed down at the last minute after pressure from the school board, parents, and teachers.

Our coverage of the crackdown on the 16th St. plaza continues. Read it daily.

More soon,

Sara