Football players’ alleged messages about raping, killing student prompt Idaho high school walkout

National admin October 14, 2026 0 Comments

Football players’ alleged messages about raping, killing student prompt Idaho high school walkout

An Idaho high school student posted screenshots on Oct. 3 that appeared to show football players sending violent messages on Snapchat about raping and killing a female student. The Boise School District’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday issued a statement condemning an incident at Timberline High School that has drawn attention — and fury — from the broader community.

Students showed their support for victims of sexual violence by participating in a walkout last week. Timberline administrators also canceled the homecoming football game, taking a forfeit.

Boise School District spokesperson Dan Hollar told the Idaho Statesman that police gave the green light on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for the district to begin its Title IX investigation and threat assessment.

Boise Police spokesperson Haley Williams told the Idaho Statesman on Friday that, while police had completed their evidence collection at the school, the investigation was still ongoing and police were waiting for social media platforms to provide requested evidence.

“The next steps for BPD are to continue to investigate the evidence currently available and to evaluate additional evidence as it is received from the social media platforms,” Williams said in an email. “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.”

School leaders speak to community about violent messages

The Board of Trustees publicly addressed the incident for the first time at Monday night’s school board meeting and issued a follow-up statement Tuesday afternoon. The district also shared a timeline that mapped out how administrators responded to the threats after a student reported them.

“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,” the statement signed by all board members said. “No student, or adult, for that matter should ever be subjected to threats of this nature.”

The leaders acknowledged that, because the incident happened on a social media messaging platform, the school’s response did not appear as “quickly and ruthlessly” as some may have hoped.

“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,” the board said. “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.”

The board stressed that it followed all required procedures. Timberline’s investigation was delayed after Boise Police instructed administrators to wait until law enforcement completed its own evidence collection.

“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,” the board said. “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.”

The board ended its statement by pledging to help “find the words and take the actions necessary” to make Boise a better, safer place.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 1:01 PM with the headline “Football players’ alleged messages about raping, killing student prompt Idaho high school walkout.”