BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Thursday morning, students at Timberline High School walked out in support of a teacher who was recently suspended for reasons unknown to the public. Around that same time, the Boise School District sent out a letter to parents and staff regarding the teacher's suspension.
Laura Boulton was suspended last week. Her absence at Timberline resulted in a large turnout at Monday's school board meeting and Thursday's student-organized walkout.
Boulton was put on administrative leave according to Administrative Leave Board Policy 5210, which states that a Boise School District employee may be placed on paid administrative leave if they are involved in alleged misconduct like violating a rule of the State Board of Education, Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, district policy or created an immediate threat to student, self or staff safety.
Students stood outside the school holding signs and listening to Boulton, who stood across the street from the school and spoke to the students via a megaphone.
According to several student sources, students have been signing petition forms and writing on the walls of the school in an attempt to bring Boulton back. During the walkout, Boulton spoke against some of those actions.
"I love you and I'm not mad at you at all," Boulton said to the crowd in front of the school. "But you cannot disrupt your own learning environment. That's not good for your grandkids."
The walkout and letter release come after Boulton's suspension was reported Tuesday by the Idaho Press.
"Under Idaho Code 74-106, we cannot disclose most information related to individual personnel matters. We are allowed to disclose the employee’s status and address what is not relevant to the situation. Only with the permission of the employee in question can we release all the facts," the letter said.
The letter states that while the district cannot address every suspicion regarding the suspension, they can confirm that it does not come as a result of reporting acts of sexual assault or harassment, bullying or abuse. According to the letter, there is a teacher evaluation that is circulating on various media outlets that is not Boulton's actual evaluation.
"We understand and appreciate that parents and students form relationships with their teachers," the letter said. "While a disruption in that relationship can be difficult, it is sometimes necessary to ensure that we are able to conduct a neutral fact-finding investigation and to protect the educational environment for all involved."
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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