A monthslong investigation revealed that Oportun Inc. routinely uses lawsuits to intimidate a vulnerable population into keeping up with high-interest loan payments — even amid COVID-19.
Kiah Collier
Kiah Collier was a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative initiative from 2020 through 2023. She previously worked at the Tribune as a reporter and associate editor, covering energy and the environment through the lens of state government and politics. Kiah has reported for numerous other publications across Texas since 2010, including the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. Her beats also have included government and politics, public education and business. Kiah’s work has been honored with numerous prizes, including a George Foster Peabody Award, a Gerald Loeb Award, the Knight-Risser Prize for Western Environmental Journalism, the National Edward R. Murrow Award for best investigation and the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award. A seventh-generation Texan, she grew up in the Austin area and graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in journalism and philosophy.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Oportun Inc. has filed nearly 10,000 lawsuits this year against lower-income Texans. This is how we found out.
Justice of the peace courts, where a majority of debt claims are filed in Texas, aren’t required to report case-level information. Here’s how ProPublica and Texas Tribune reporters got around it to reveal one company’s aggressive tactics.
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Coronavirus in Texas
This Silicon Valley-based lender sued thousands of Texans during the pandemic. It stopped when we started asking questions.
The company didn’t say exactly how many pending lawsuits it would drop in Texas and elsewhere, but it confirmed that “several thousand cases” would be impacted.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott is limiting enforcement of COVID-19 orders, but many cities already took a lax approach
Texas cities and counties have dramatically different interpretations of the state’s COVID-19 emergency orders. Complaint data from a dozen cities shows that disparate approaches to enforcement, particularly among businesses, have been incredibly common.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Coronavirus put her out of work, then debt collectors froze her savings account
Kim Boatswain’s tax refund could have helped her get through the coronavirus slowdown. But debt collectors seized it. There are few options for Texans like Boatswain whose money was taken just before the state temporarily banned such garnishments.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Despite coronavirus risks, some Texas religious groups are worshipping in person — with the governor’s blessing
COVID-19 has spread rapidly in Texas, and many congregations closed their doors and moved religious services online. But there are some religious groups who say it’s their right to remain open because they believe they provide an essential service to their communities.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas regulators vote to ban residential utility shut-offs during pandemic while buoying companies
The Texas Public Utility Commission approved an order Thursday that would ban disconnections of water and power service for Texans financially impacted by COVID-19 and put them on deferred payment plans. But advocates and experts say the real winner might be utility providers.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Patients face canceled appointments and delayed surgeries as doctors respond to coronavirus. They’re worried about the wait.
On Friday, several major health care providers announced they would postpone elective surgeries and other non-urgent procedures and appointments.
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Coronavirus in Texas
While other states fighting coronavirus enforce widespread closures, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott goes with a patchwork system
While most states have mandated the closure of schools, bars and restaurants; deployed their militaries; or diverted state resources to COVID-19 response, Texas is largely leaving it up to schools and local governments to decide how to proceed. Some say the approach can undermine response efforts.
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Coronavirus in Texas
How will collapsing oil prices affect Texas? It depends on these two factors, experts say.
A dramatic drop in oil prices over the weekend could harm Texas’ oil and gas industry and economy, but experts say it all depends on how long they remain low — and how the COVID-19 epidemic plays out.