BOISE, Idaho — On Tuesday night, the Boise School District held a private meeting with parents of Valley View Elementary students to discuss the results of an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Gavin Snow, a special education assistant who died by suicide in January after being accused of producing child sexual abuse material.
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Media were not permitted inside the meeting, but parents who spoke with Idaho News 6 expressed frustration over what they described as a pattern of poor communication and mishandling of similar cases. One parent who attended reported feeling "a little more at ease" but noted that many attendees still had questions and a lingering sense of mistrust.
A primary concern raised was the presence of cellphones in classrooms. The parent indicated that most of the exploitative material was found on Snow's phone. In response, the district plans to implement a no-phone policy for bathrooms, introduce more walkie-talkies for staff communication, and ensure that two adults are present during bathroom breaks.
According to parents, the district informed them that Snow was not authorized to be alone with students but offered limited explanations for how he ended up unsupervised with preschool-aged, often nonverbal children. A handout confirmed that "a single employee was involved in multiple instances of inappropriate behavior with more than one student in the bathroom and sensory room at Valley View."
Parents were also told that new training around mandatory reporting will be introduced, and staff are encouraged to hold each other more accountable. In an email to families, the district acknowledged the distress caused by the situation, stating, "We understand how upsetting this has been for all of us and we apologize for damaging the trust you have placed in us."
The meeting focused exclusively on internal policies and did not address the ongoing criminal investigation by the Boise Police Department.
The Boise School District has been contacted for a public statement regarding the investigation's findings, but has not yet responded.
