Last September, the Boise School District suspended Timberline High School teacher Laura Boulton over alleged “inappropriate” behavior toward students and colleagues.
The suspension spurred outrage among students, who held walkouts and called for the district to reinstate her. Boulton accused the district of retaliating against her for reporting an incident of alleged sexual misconduct — a narrative the district denied.
Nearly a year later, the district has agreed to pay Boulton $400,000 as part of an agreement that includes her voluntarily submitting a letter of resignation, according to documents obtained through a public records request.
The agreement, first reported by KBOI, was signed by Boise School District general counsel Dan Skinner and Boulton on July 11. The agreement, which was partially redacted, said that along with the resignation letter, Boulton acknowledged that she won’t be eligible for future employment with the district “at any time in any capacity.”
The document also includes an agreement between Boulton and the district “not to pursue any action against the other in any forum,” and says that Boulton would be a member of an executive level committee in the district to provide training to teachers on “appropriate boundaries in relationships between students and staff.”
Neither party will take any action that is “disparaging about, or that could reasonably be construed as disparaging to any Party,” according to the agreement. It adds that Boulton agreed to respond to any inquiry that she has “amicably resolved issues with the District and looks forward to working collaboratively with the District.”
In a text message, Boulton said she couldn’t comment beyond saying that she reached an amicable agreement and was proud of the district for giving her the opportunity to work with them “to make our schools safer.”
The Boise School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boulton placed on leave last September
Boulton was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 7, 2023, just weeks after the school year started, according to previous Statesman reporting. About a week later, hundreds of Timberline students walked out of school to demand answers from the district and call for administration to bring back Boulton.
At the time, the district sent an email rejecting rumors on social media about why Boulton was suspended.
“The rumors and speculation circulating … about why Ms. Boulton is on administrative leave are not correct,” the Boise School District letter read, according to previous Statesman reporting. “Ms. Boulton was not placed on administrative leave for reporting acts of sexual assault and/or harassment, or any other report from Ms. Boulton regarding harassment, bullying or abuse.”
In letters obtained by the Statesman last year that the district wrote to Boulton when she was put on leave, the district said Boulton may have conducted herself in “an inappropriate manner” that could be in violation of the ethics code, board policy and the employee handbook.
According to the suspension letter and two follow-up letters, six of Boulton’s colleagues had complained about her. Some had accused her of “bullying, hazing, harassment and what appears to be retaliation,” along with inappropriate relationships with students and “repeated attempts to undermine the academic environment with colleagues,” the Statesman reported.
Boulton denied all of the allegations.
“I am confident in my community’s ability to see my children’s need and focus on the truth at hand: Boise School District’s schools are not safe for its children because powerful people are making bad choices,” Boulton previously told the Statesman.
At a press conference last September, she said the district had retaliated against her and she alleged an environment in which the district covered up incidents of bullying, violence and sex crimes. At the time, the district said in a statement that it fully investigated all sexual abuse or harassment allegations, but acknowledged that it could “do better” to support students.
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Conclusion
And there you have it, the dramatic saga surrounding Laura Boulton’s suspension and eventual resignation from the Boise School District. What started as allegations of inappropriate behavior spiraled into a contentious battle between Boulton, the district, and the students who rallied behind her. Despite the $400,000 settlement and the agreement for her to resign, the details of what truly transpired remain murky.
Will Boulton’s legacy be one of a whistleblower brave enough to speak out against misconduct, or will she be remembered for the accusations that led to her downfall? Only time will tell how this chapter in Boise’s education system will be viewed in the annals of history.
For now, the echoes of this controversy linger in the hallways of Timberline High School, a reminder that even in the academic world, scandals can erupt, leaving a lasting impact on all those involved.
