Tammy Nichols — The speaker continues discussing the accusations connected to Senator Nichols' bill.
Tammy Nichols — Kathy Wilson says she supports Senator Nichols' efforts to protect her child and good teachers.
Tammy Nichols — The speaker says they will support Senator Nichols' bill.
Tammy Nichols — The speaker expressed wholehearted support for Senator Nichols' bill and said the issue needs to change in the school system.
Tammy Nichols — The chair indicated the discussion was returning to Senator Nichols.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Nichols clarified that testimony read on behalf of Dr. Bolton had been cleared by her lawyers and that the matter was settled in 2024.
Tammy Nichols — Crishfield thanked Senator Nichols for working through areas in the bills to reach shared goals.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Semmelroth addressed the question to Superintendent or Senator Nichols.
Tammy Nichols — Referenced as the bill sponsor whose bill is being discussed.
Tammy Nichols — Was thanked by name in response to her comments and referenced as the sponsor of the bill being amended.
Tammy Nichols — Explained that the bill will be sent to the 14th order for language tweaks and said the group has a clear path forward after meeting with the AG's office and the superintendent.
Tammy Nichols — Said the bill is a starting point and is intended to set boundaries around student safety.
Tammy Nichols — Said the bill is intended to protect all students and apply consistent standards to charter and private schools as well as public schools.
Tammy Nichols — Explained that private schools are included and that the bill would require similar standards at the private-school level.
Tammy Nichols — Responded that private schools should do the same thing, including background-check-type provisions.
Tammy Nichols — Said the bill seeks consistency across public and private schools to protect students and account for transfers between systems.
Tammy Nichols — Said information could be requested when individuals move between public and private schools.
Tammy Nichols — Responded that the AG's office said private schools could be included.
Tammy Nichols — Said private schools can be included because the matter is education-related and reiterated the goal of consistent standards.
Tammy Nichols — Addressed by name as the next speaker after Senator Cook.
Tammy Nichols — Was asked to explain the planned changes to the bill.
Tammy Nichols — Said the bill will be clarified by changing language on page two, line 10, and by drafting amendments now.
Tammy Nichols — Explained that the bill would require applicants to sign the application statement before hiring and that whistleblower language from SB 1372 would be incorporated.
Tammy Nichols — Acknowledged the correction and explained that SB 1372's whistleblower language would be moved into SB 1371.
Tammy Nichols — Said the combined bill will set standards and consistency, with only a few main areas needing language changes.
Tammy Nichols — Said she is working with the state superintendent, the Department of Education, and the AG's office to draft clarifying language.
Tammy Nichols — Said the bill should be moved to the 14th order because the session is late and corrections can be made without a rehearing.
Tammy Nichols — Was said to be able to be backed up by the superintendent on the question of whether the changes are minor.
Tammy Nichols — Her bill was referenced as the measure that might prevent such employment if issues are present.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Nichols participated in a committee discussion about a proposed tweak to the bill allowing districts to request out-of-state records rather than compel them, with any nonresponse simply noted in the file. The group noted that the approach would require agreement from Senator Nichols and the chair, and Nichols responded that she was fine with whatever was easiest for the committee, agreed they were moving in the right direction, and supported proceeding with the bill this year.
Laura Bolton — Laura Bolton is identified as one of the scheduled witnesses and is expected to testify by video, but a connection issue is noted, so her written statement is referenced as available instead.
Kathy Wilson — Kathy Wilson testifies about her son’s alleged sexual assault and her concern that the Boise School District handled the matter internally rather than through mandatory reporting. She says her son is not the only victim, emphasizes that supervision, transparency, and accountability are essential for student safety, and closes by supporting Senator Nichols’ efforts to protect children and responsible teachers while criticizing the district’s handling of the situation.
Karen Brooke — Introduces herself as a friend of Dr. Laura Bolton and Senator Nichols and says she will read Dr. Bolton's statement.
Dr. Laura Bolton — Dr. Laura Bolton’s statement is read into the record. She describes her involvement with Senator Nichols’ bills S1371 and S3172 and explains that she reported sexual misconduct and related concerns in the Boise School District, including allegations involving a Timberline High School softball coach. The discussion then turns to questions about whether the allegations were pursued through proper legal channels, with the speaker noting they are not qualified to answer those accusations directly.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Senator Ward-Engelking discusses concerns about keeping children safe, noting that the issue is currently in court and may not be appropriate to continue debating in committee. She also emphasizes that teachers want to protect children and that school districts try to check backgrounds when hiring.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Senator Janie Ward-Engelking expressed hesitation about the bill despite agreeing the issue is important, saying she does not fully understand the amendments and is concerned there may be other unknown issues. She said she may not be able to support the bill as written, then asked how the bill would be enforced at the private-school level, whether the state has authority to require private schools to comply, and whether micro schools would be included.
Tori Dole / Tori Dell — Introduces herself, says her matter is from years ago and not a current lawsuit, and begins her testimony.
Torre Dill / Tori Dole — Torre Dill/Tori Dole describes teaching for 27 years in the Boise School District and says her career ended after she became a whistleblower. She alleges that the principal’s wife at Monroe Elementary was a registered pedophile with multiple counts involving an underage student, and says parents came to her with concerns because they feared retaliation. She explains that she reported the matter up the chain of command, but the principal, area director, superintendent, and trustees did nothing, so she eventually filed a police report. She says that after contacting police, harassment and retaliation intensified, severely harming her health and destroying her teaching career and full retirement. She concludes that district staff should have called law enforcement immediately and says teachers are not protected when they blow the whistle.
Dave Lent — The chair thanked the witness for being present and indicated the issue would be taken up on the next bill, then the exchange concluded with a brief acknowledgment before returning the floor to Senator Nichols.
Dave Lent — The committee discussion centered on Chairman Lent’s role in the procedural handling of a proposal. Members repeatedly addressed him as Mr. Chairman while discussing whether changes to the bill—especially around out-of-state records and applicant eligibility—could proceed only with his agreement and Senator Nichols’s agreement. The exchange concluded with the matter being framed as a hold of the chair, indicating the proposal would move only if Chairman Lent approved.
Van Burtenshaw — Senator Burtenshaw asked what modifications would be made to the bill and followed up by asking what those changes would be.
Carrie Semmelroth — Senator Semmelroth asked for clarification about language concerning withholding or falsifying a disclosure statement.
Carrie Semmelroth — Senator Semmelroth raised questions about the bill’s treatment of out-of-state applicants, specifically whether an applicant would remain a candidate if another state did not provide records and how the bill handles requests for records from the last 10 years. The response clarified that the bill includes a tweak to allow requests for those records from out-of-state applicants.
Christy Zito — Senator Christy Zito apologized for being late and then asked a series of related questions about the bill and school safety procedures: whether Idaho is a mandatory reporting state, whether adults are required to report abuse, whether background checks and fingerprinting should already catch people on the sexual predator list, where the failure in the system is if those safeguards exist, and whether accusations of misconduct should follow an applicant to a new school even without a conviction.
James Woodward — Senator Woodward noted that the committee was generally aligned but slightly out of sync, then indicated he would make a motion after gauging support from the other senators. He ultimately moved to hold Senate Bill 1371 and Senate Bill 1372 in committee.
Tammy Nichols — Named in the exchange as the person being addressed.
Tammy Nichols — Responded to the question about whether a teacher with abuse allegations could be hired elsewhere if the matter was not reported.
Tammy Nichols — Mentioned as a friend of Karen Brooke.
Tammy Nichols — Referenced as the sponsor of bills S1371 and S3172.
Tammy Nichols — Referenced as the legislator Dr. Laura Bolton partnered with on the bill.