No Halo News · Sourced development
Spokesman-Review union objected to Comma’s reported plan to retain suspended editor in a leadership role
InvestigateWest and RANGE reported that Comma Journalism Labs, the nonprofit preparing to take ownership of The Spokesman-Review, planned to retain suspended executive editor and Comma founder Rob Curley in a leadership role. The newspaper’s union opposed that plan. Curley had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an independent review, and the reporting also noted that Comma’s board chair resigned after earlier coverage of the controversy.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The dispute concerns leadership and board oversight immediately before a significant transfer of a longstanding regional newspaper to nonprofit ownership. Unresolved governance questions could affect staff confidence, editorial independence, donor trust and the planned transition.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
The plan and staff objections were reported by Wilson Criscione of InvestigateWest and Daisy Zavala Magaña of RANGE; the opposition was attributed to The Spokesman-Review’s union.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not established the underlying facts being examined in the independent newsroom review, its outcome, Curley’s final role, the reasons for the former board chair’s resignation or the relevance and disposition of lawsuits involving Comma co-founder and executive director Scott de Rozic.
Right of reply
Organization response
Comma previously said Curley was on paid administrative leave while an independent review proceeded and that it remained committed to the newspaper’s transition to community-operated ownership. No separate detailed response to the union’s latest objection was located in the consulted material.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Other Material Event. Current state: Pending. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published October 20, 2026 · Last verified October 22, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.