Accountable

Have you ever wondered what happens when a racist social media post goes viral? Accountable takes you inside a true story of high school students whose private joke spiraled into a public scandal, forcing an entire community to confront deep-seated issues of race, justice, and forgiveness. This summary unpacks the aftermath of their actions, exploring the complex questions of accountability in the digital age. You'll learn how restorative justice offers a path forward, moving beyond punishment to heal the harm caused and rebuild trust when online mistakes have real-world consequences.

Dashka Slater is an award-winning journalist for The New York Times Magazine and author of the bestseller The 57 Bus, a Stonewall Book Award and YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award winner. A recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, she has spent decades reporting on complex social justice issues. Her deep-seated belief in the power of restorative justice and the nuances of adolescent accountability led her to spend years researching the real-life events that inspired Accountable.