Bills have emerged from the Idaho Senate with inspiration from a controversial Boise educator who is advocating for better laws surrounding sexual predators in Idaho schools.

Sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, SBs 1371 and 1372 were presented to the Senate Education Committee on Thursday afternoon. The bills address the mandatory reporting system in K-12 schools — a system former Boise School District teacher Laura Boulton has become all too familiar with.

Boulton was a teacher at Timberline High School in 2023 when she was unceremoniously suspended. The suspension came shortly before the Idaho Press published a piece detailing the stories of 10 BSD students who allegedly experienced sexual assaults and confided in Boulton. The high school math teacher was named as a trustworthy confidant.

Following allegations by the BSD that Boulton spread misinformation, manipulated students and “preyed upon vulnerable youth for her own purposes,” she filed a tort claim against the district. By 2024, the BSD settled with Boulton, paying her $400,000.

She has since remained outspoken about issues in the sexual assault reporting process.

“We’re looking out for kids,” she said about protecting educators in a Thursday interview with the Idaho Press. “We shouldn’t be punished, period.”

Since leaving the BSD, Boulton has become an advocate for current and former students who have experienced sexual assault. She supports them through her organization, Phoenix Advocacy Agency, in deciding next steps for reporting or receiving support.

“They (students and teachers on their behalf) go to the school district thinking the school district’s going to do right by them, but obviously they haven’t,” she said.

SB 1371, deemed the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act, would replace existing law that allows schools to conduct internal reviews on abuse allegations in lieu of going to law enforcement. With the current law, school administrators technically don’t have to report to the police, but this amendment would require it.

The bill would also set standards for Idaho schools keeping and obtaining personnel records when hiring educators. The goal is to keep better records so an employee can’t simply move school districts following a resignation during an investigation or disciplinary actions.

“Recent cases in Idaho remind us why transparency matters. In the past several years, we’ve seen cases involving school personnel … including allegations of sexual misconduct with students,” Nichols said Thursday. “These cases are not representative of the vast majority of educators in Idaho, of course … but they do highlight the need for clear procedure, transparency, consistency throughout the state when concerns arise.”

SB 1372, the Idaho Education Whistleblower Protection Act, aims to protect educators, who report sexual misconduct related to students, from retaliation. Boulton said the bill was inspired, in part, by her own experience.

At Thursday’s reading, members of the public spoke in support of the bills. Many were former teachers who felt pushed out after standing up to their school’s administration.

“Being a whistleblower destroyed my teaching career,” one speaker said.

With the committee requesting further clarification on legal aspects of the bills, the Senate Education Committee moved to delay a vote, requesting that Nichols present again at a later time.