The closure of a series of sexual abuse cases, and settling a teacher’s lawsuit over classroom conditions, need to serve as “a catalyst for meaningful change,” say two parents who filed a claim against the Boise School District.
The parents have settled a tort claim connected to Gavin Snow, a former special education assistant accused of abusing students at two elementary schools. The parents issued a statement to Idaho Education News Tuesday afternoon — hours after the district publicly disclosed a $720,000 settlement with teacher Michelle Chung, who said she contracted Lyme disease from a mouse infestation at West Junior High School.
“As parents, we entrusted the district with our child’s care and safety. When that trust was broken, the consequences were devastating for our family,” the parents’ statement reads, in part. “While our circumstances were different from Ms. Chung’s, we recognize a common thread that connects both matters: the importance of protecting children and ensuring that concerns about student safety are taken seriously.”
EdNews is not identifying the parents, to protect their son’s privacy.
The parents filed a $50 million tort claim against the Boise district in May 2025. It is one of at least nine tort claims involving Snow, who had worked at Cynthia Mann and Valley View elementary schools. Snow died by suicide in January 2025, as Boise police attempted to arrest him on child sexual abuse charges.
In November, the Boise district said it had reached $7 million in settlements, closing seven of the claims.
In Tuesday’s statement, the parents said they agreed to a $500,000 settlement, “not because it represents the full extent of harm, but because it ensured that the Boise School District would be held publicly accountable.” As in their original tort claim, the parents said the district failed to fully investigate complaints at Cynthia Mann, where Snow worked before taking a job at Valley View.
“We experienced much indifference, lack of compassion, lack of support and a lack of investigation,” they wrote.
The district’s public statements on the Chung lawsuit and the Snow tort claims have been noticeably different.
When the district announced its $720,000 settlement with Chung — an amount reported first by EdNews Tuesday — the district also denied wrongdoing. “(The district) expressly denies any admission of fault, liability, or causation,” said spokesman Dan Hollar, who said the district settled only to avoid “protracted litigation.”
Three months after Snow died by suicide, district Superintendent Lisa Roberts publicly apologized to Valley View parents and staff, acknowledging “multiple instances” of inappropriate behavior at Valley View. But Roberts and School Board Chairman Dave Wagers have since said the sexual abuse issues are not systemic, and said the rash of tort claims “appear to stem from coordinated efforts involving a small group of attorneys and a former employee.”
(One of Chung’s attorneys, Andrea Rosholt of Boise, has also represented plaintiffs in some of the Snow-related tort claims — including the parents who reached out to EdNews Tuesday.)
On Tuesday, the parents said they hoped the recent events would “mark the beginning of a renewed focus” on accountability and student safety.
“We are hopeful that the resolution of both matters serves as a catalyst for meaningful change within the Boise School District,” they wrote. “Every child who enters a school building deserves to be safe. Every parent deserves confidence that concerns affecting student welfare will be taken seriously. Every teacher and staff member should be encouraged — not discouraged — from speaking up when they identify conditions that could impact students.”
