Disney to Study Berkeley Students

Meredith May <mailto:chronfeedback@sfgate.com>
Friday, September 1, 2000

©2000 San Francisco Chronicle </chronicle/info/copyright>
URL: <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/09/01/EB90045.DTL>

Berkeley High student reporters got the story, and now the story is about
them.

Impressed by their national scoop last year, two Hollywood writers are
coming to Berkeley High School next month to study the student newsroom.
Disney will be producing the movie.

The Jacket drew national attention last December when it broke a story about
Berkeley's largest landlord, who was later accused of smuggling young Indian
women into the United States for indentured servitude and sex.

The students found the story after a fire in one of his apartment buildings,
which killed a 17-year-old girl.

Jacket reporters wondered why the girl wasn't a student at Berkeley High.
They did some digging and heard stories that landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy
brought many young village women to the United States for work and,
sometimes, sex.

Within a month, Reddy and his son were arrested on federal charges of
immigration fraud, and importing and harboring aliens for the purposes of
prostitution or immoral purposes.

Taping of the Jacket's story is scheduled to begin in the spring.

The Jacket received the highest All American rating this year from the
National Scholastic Press Association. The paper won distinction for
coverage, content, writing, editing, photography, art, graphics, layout,
design and leadership.