6 days ago
Boise paid teacher $400K, but West Ada wouldn't hire her. She claims defamation
A Boise teacher who resigned in a $400,000 settlement with the Boise School District last year applied to substitute teach in West Ada, only to be turned down over alleged lack of professionalism.
Laura Boulton, a former Timberline High School math teacher, filed claims against both school districts in May for allegedly defaming her during her application process.
According to a copy of West Ada's rejection letter obtained by the Idaho Statesman, West Ada denied Boulton employment because information in Boise's personnel file on Boulton indicated 'concerns regarding your professionalism with colleagues, specifically a history of targeting other teachers.'
Boulton, in her claims, argued that 'The opposite is true.'
'I taught at Centennial High School in West Ada School District, and Borah and Timberline High Schools in Boise School District, and I have an exemplary personnel record in both,' Boulton told the Statesman in an email.
Boulton also filed a second claim against the Boise district, saying officials violated her First Amendment rights by issuing her a trespassing notice after she attended a public meeting regarding a former Boise schools employee accused of possessing child pornography.
A West Ada spokesperson told the Statesman that the district, Idaho's largest, does not comment on personnel matters or pending legal claims. A Boise spokesperson said the district is required by state law to disclose personnel information to other school districts during the hiring process.
'As to trespassing, we take the safety and privacy of our students, staff and parents very seriously,' the Boise spokesperson, Ryan Hill, said. Idaho law and district policies 'allow us to reasonably restrict access to schools and other district properties,' he said.
Both claims are tort claims, which Idaho law requires before someone can sue a state or local unit of government. They came after Boulton and the Boise district in 2024 reached a tenuous peace, settling a year of tensions over Boulton's allegedly 'inappropriate' behavior and her contention that the district was failing victims of bullying and sex crimes.
Timberline suspended Boulton in 2023 over alleged inappropriate relationships with students and 'repeated attempts to undermine the academic environment with colleagues,' the Statesman reported. The suspension sparked student walkouts on Boulton's behalf and calls to reinstate her.
In a July 2024 settlement, Boulton agreed to resign, and the district agreed to pay her $400,000 and place her on a district committee on healthy relationships. Both sides agreed not to pursue any action against the other, the Idaho Statesman reported.
In November 2024, four months after the settlement, Boulton applied to substitute teach in West Ada as she pursued her doctorate in education, according to a tort claim filed on May 8 and provided to the Statesman by a West Ada spokesperson. The claim alleged that Boulton was rejected because of 'false and defamatory information' West Ada received from Boise that was then placed in Boulton's personnel file in West Ada.
The claim, which also named Boise's General Counsel Dan Skinner, seeks over $500,000 in damages for economic losses and emotional distress.
Boulton's lawyer, Andrea Rosholt of Boise, argued in the claim that 'there has never been a finding by the (Boise) trustees to substantiate' the statements about Boulton's professionalism. Rosholt cited the July 'amicable resolution' — a term the settlement required Boulton to use in future inquiries — and the fact that Boulton was placed on the 'prestigious executive level committee.' The committee sunset in December.
Boulton is also being represented by Boise laywer Eric Rossman.
On May 29, Rosholt filed the second claim on Boulton's behalf against Skinner and Boise schools. According to a copy of the claim Boulton provided to the Statesman, she attended a public meeting in January hosted by the district to discuss concerns surrounding Gavin Snow, a special education paraprofessional in Boise who died by suicide after being investigated for possessing children pornography.
According to the claim, Boulton was invited to attend by a Valley View Elementary School parent. On Jan. 30, Skinner sent Boulton a trespass notice. Skinner cited 'two prior ... investigations' into Boulton's conduct and said Boulton recorded the meeting and distributed commercial business cards. An amended trespass notice on Feb. 17 also accused Boulton of making threatening remarks.
The trespass notices, included in the claim, described 'requests from staff and families to avoid further contact with (Boulton) on our property or at school events' and instructed Boulton 'not to be physically present at any Boise School District property, or at any Boise School District event.'
Rosholt argued that the notices infringed on Boulton's constitutionally protected rights and were 'false and defamatory.' Rosholt said Boulton 'did not disrupt the meeting in any fashion' and denied that she recorded the meeting, handed out business cards or made any threats.
Rosholt also discounted the investigations cited in the trespass notice. 'Despite the 'investigation' you referenced, Ms. Boulton's employment with the district was not terminated,' she wrote. 'In fact, Ms. Boulton resigned and the district put Ms. Boulton on an executive committee with access to the district offices to address the issue that was the topic of the Valley View meeting.'
An email from Skinner included in claim said a 2018 investigation had found that Boulton violated the district's code of ethics 'by failing to provide appropriate supervision of her students' and 'using her institutional privileges to undertake political activities' — for which Boulton was reprimanded and transferred.
Skinner said a second investigation 'resulted from more than a dozen complaints of harassment and inappropriate behavior with students filed by her colleagues.' Skinner said the investigation concluded that Boulton violated the Idaho Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators 'by targeting colleagues who had raised concerns about her professionalism, crossed professional boundaries with students by utilizing them in her efforts to target her colleagues, and was unprofessional with colleagues generally.'
The claim indicated Boulton's intent to sue for an additional $500,000 or more in damages.
Boulton told the Statesman in a text message that the trespass notice is in effect until 2027.
Rosholt did not respond to an email inquiry from the Statesman.
Boulton continues to live in Boise and runs a limited-liability company called Phoenix Advocacy, though her goal remains to work in Boise or West Ada schools, she told the Statesman. She said the company is nonprofit.
'I have called Boise my home and built a family here for nearly twenty years,' she said by email.
Boulton said her agency is aiding families in Boise, West Ada and nearby schools 'in matters of Special Education, English Language Learners, and victimised students' needs and services.'
She also said she is 'collaborating with the Boise Police Department and guiding my clients through the legal system as they find solutions and justice.'
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