Chapter 11 - Brent said “handle” meant conversation
His lawyer emphasized this repeatedly.
Fair.
Words need context.
Brent claimed:
“Handle your girlfriend” meant persuade Hannah to keep the matter internal.
Not assault her.
Did evidence show Brent ordered Dustin to beat Hannah?
No.
Prosecutors never charged him with that.
Did Brent know the reporting system was false?
Different question.
Emails showed:
He discussed carryover names.
Approved inflated attendance reports.
Asked employees to “smooth” monthly numbers.
So his fraud exposure was real.
His responsibility for Dustin’s violence was not established beyond speculation.
I learned something important during that investigation.
People want one villain.
Reality often distributes wrongdoing unevenly.
Dustin hurt my daughter.
Brent manipulated grant reporting.
May you like
Their actions overlapped.
That did not make them identical.
