(UPDATED, 6:34 p.m., with open letter from Boise trustees and administrators.)

The Boise School District is launching an internal investigation into reported online death threats against a student.

Details on the district’s Timberline High School investigation are unclear. “We cannot disclose individual student discipline due to student privacy requirements,” district spokesman Dan Hollar said in an email to Idaho EdNews.

The district had put its investigation on hold while waiting on the Boise Police Department. Police finished their interviews Wednesday, “and we were … given the all clear to begin investigating on our own,” Boise district Area Director Shelley Bonds told the Boise School Board Monday evening.

The Boise police investigation is ongoing, spokeswoman Haley Kramer told EdNews Tuesday morning. “We have completed the initial essential interviews, preserved immediately available evidence, and requested preservation of additional evidence not yet received.”

Police were brought in on the investigation on Oct. 2, the day the threats were reported to school and district officials. According to an online petition, members of the Timberline football team went on the Snapchat social media site and talked about raping and killing a female student.

Boise police increased their presence at the school last week. District and school officials postponed some homecoming activities and canceled a homecoming football game scheduled for Thursday, citing concerns about student safety. Hundreds of Timberline students staged a walkout during classes Wednesday.

The Boise district investigation will begin this week, Bonds told trustees Monday night. The district will conduct a threat assessment and investigate potential violations of Title IX, a federal education law prohibiting sexual discrimination.

Meanwhile, Boise police will continue to investigate the evidence already in hand and look at additional evidence as it is collected from social media. “It is anticipated that it will take time to evaluate this additional evidence, interview additional witnesses based on that new information, and to determine if the incident meets the legal requirements for criminal charges,” Kramer said Tuesday.

As the investigations continue, district and Timberline officials talked late last week about “returning to a sense of normalcy.”

“Our focus will remain on safety, accountability, supporting our students and staff, and bringing the Timberline community back together,” district Superintendent Wendy Johnson, Timberline principal Chad Wright and Bonds said in an email to the Timberline community.

Timberline’s next football game will go on as scheduled, but with enhanced security, Bonds told trustees Monday. Security will also be ramped up for rescheduled homecoming activities and parent-teacher conferences, she said.

Trustees briefly reviewed the Timberline investigation during Monday night’s regularly scheduled board meeting. No one addressed the situation during the meeting’s public comment periods.

Several trustees praised school and district officials for their response. Trustee Debbie Donovan thanked community members for stepping up and reporting the Snapchat posts, while trustee Alejandro Necochea praised students for stepping up to protest.

And several trustees pledged to host a wider discussion.

“We need to lead a community conversation about this,” board Chairman Dave Wagers said. “It is not a school district issue. It is a community issue, and we will not shirk away from the leadership responsibilities that we have.”

Boise district ‘open letter’

Boise school trustees and administrators issued an open letter Tuesday on the Timberline investigation. Here it is, in its entirety:

An Open Letter to Our Community,

This has been an incredibly difficult few days for our entire community, and in particular, for our friends, families, staff and students at Timberline.

First and foremost, our hearts go out to the young woman who was the target of the disturbing threats of violence that brought us to this point. No student, or adult, for that matter should ever be subjected to threats of this nature, and we recognize the fear, hurt, and emotional impact this situation has had on her, her family, and people throughout Boise.

Every day, thousands of children show up in our schools with an expectation that they will be safe, welcome and treated with dignity, kindness and respect. And, we do our best to meet those expectations. We listen and we support. We guide and we teach. And we hold each other accountable.

These expectations and responsibilities are clear during the school day, at a game, a dance or on a field trip, and if they are broken, the reaction is swift and apparent. But, when something happens outside of the classroom, after hours, or in a private string of vulgar and violent text messages, the reaction can appear muted or slow, even though in reality, it is neither. As the Board of Trustees, while we must remain at some distance to avoid conflicts with our role in adjudicating student disciplinary actions, we do have a responsibility to provide oversight and to ensure that the people, policies and systems are in place to meet the expectations of our students, families and community. As hard as it may be for some to hear, each of those areas worked in this instance. The threats were reported to the administration and law enforcement. The student targeted by the threats has been provided with support to ensure her safety at school and resources to help her heal. Those responsible are being investigated and disciplined. The process, although not as quickly or as ruthlessly as some on social media would like, is working.

We cannot thank our partners in the Boise Police Department enough for their diligence and dedication through this ordeal. We also deeply appreciate the staff at Timberline for their care and consideration while navigating a highly public and horrific situation through what was to be Homecoming Week.

Of course, the tougher issue is what can be done, as a community, to address the anger, callousness, and lack of respect for another human being conveyed in the online messages. And, not just the ones directed at the young woman, but those indiscriminately thrown at an entire athletic team and a school where the overwhelming majority of students and adults are thoughtful, respectful, and considerate.

Words matter. Words can hurt. Words can also heal and inspire. They can bring together to stamp out the anger and the hate and the fear driving those who will attack, even if only verbally, our fellow humans.

We, the Board of Trustees of the Boise School District, pledge to find the words and take the actions necessary to strengthen this wonderful community we all call home. For those who share this vision. For those who want our community to be safer, whether you’re walking down the street or scrolling online. For those who believe in the values of respect, dignity, honesty, responsibility and teamwork. Please, join us.

Boise School District Board of Trustees
– Dave Wagers, President
– Debbie Donovan, Vice President
– Paul Bennion, Trustee
– Krista Hasler, Trustee
– Andy Hawes, Trustee
– Alejandro Necochea, Trustee
– Elizabeth Reiman, Trustee

Boise School District Administration
– Wendy Johnson, Superintendent
– Nick Smith, Deputy Superintendent