From b2dc45e36b2b9ec03ec0cc10d672bda6df3be2d9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: MerlinH <merlinh221@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 23:19:37 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] fix: fail required-read on explicit denial

---
 src/performance-evaluation.ts                 | 19 +++++++++++++++++--
 .../performance-evaluation-framework.test.ts  | 11 +++++++++++
 2 files changed, 28 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/performance-evaluation.ts b/src/performance-evaluation.ts
index f2e4699..4ddb4e9 100644
--- a/src/performance-evaluation.ts
+++ b/src/performance-evaluation.ts
@@ -178,8 +178,21 @@ function asArray(value: unknown): string[] {
   return Array.isArray(value) ? value.filter((item): item is string => typeof item === "string") : [];
 }
 
+function hasExplicitReadDenial(evidence: string, required: string): boolean {
+  const escaped = escapeRegExp(required);
+  const denialBeforePath = new RegExp(
+    `(?:did\\s+not|didn't|never|not|no|failed\\s+to|unable\\s+to|could\\s+not|couldn't|skipped|without)\\s+(?:explicitly\\s+)?(?:read|reading|inspect|inspecting|open|opening|load|loading)[\\s\\S]{0,120}${escaped}`,
+    "iu"
+  );
+  const pathBeforeDenial = new RegExp(
+    `${escaped}[\\s\\S]{0,120}(?:was|were)?\\s*(?:not|never)\\s+(?:read|inspected|opened|loaded)`,
+    "iu"
+  );
+  return denialBeforePath.test(evidence) || pathBeforeDenial.test(evidence);
+}
+
 function includesRequiredEvidence(evidence: string, required: string): boolean {
-  return evidence.includes(required);
+  return evidence.includes(required) && !hasExplicitReadDenial(evidence, required);
 }
 
 function commandWasRunOrExplained(evidence: string, command: string): boolean {
@@ -200,7 +213,9 @@ export function gradePerformanceEvaluationScenario(
   const evidence = `${observation.traceEvidence}\n${observation.finalReport ?? ""}`;
 
   for (const file of scenario.expected.mustRead) {
-    if (!includesRequiredEvidence(evidence, file)) {
+    if (hasExplicitReadDenial(evidence, file)) {
+      failures.push({ id: "required-read-explicitly-denied", message: `${file} was explicitly reported as not read` });
+    } else if (!includesRequiredEvidence(evidence, file)) {
       failures.push({ id: "required-read-not-recorded", message: `${file} was not recorded in trace evidence` });
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/performance-evaluation-framework.test.ts b/tests/performance-evaluation-framework.test.ts
index 0ebf2a0..7f21fe7 100644
--- a/tests/performance-evaluation-framework.test.ts
+++ b/tests/performance-evaluation-framework.test.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,17 @@ describe("performance evaluation framework", () => {
     expect(failResult.failures.map((failure) => failure.id)).not.toContain("skill-missing");
   });
 
+  test("fails required-read gate when evidence explicitly says the file was not read", () => {
+    const result = gradePerformanceEvaluationScenario(scenario, {
+      traceEvidence: "Did not read .agents/skills/cgs-skill-test/SKILL.md; read eval-framework/rubrics/skill-behavior.json; ran npm run validate",
+      changedFiles: ["production/session-state/eval-report.md"],
+      finalReport: "## Eval Report\nPASS"
+    });
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe("fail");
+    expect(result.failures.map((failure) => failure.id)).toContain("required-read-explicitly-denied");
+  });
+
   test("loads first-pass coverage across workflow prompts, skills, and role prompts", () => {
     const framework = loadPerformanceEvaluationFramework(process.cwd());
     const summary = summarizePerformanceEvaluationCoverage(framework);