‘Surprise and fear’: Timberline students react to social media posts under investigation

By: Allie Triepke

Originally Posted 10:04 PM, Oct 03, 2026

BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Students at Timberline High School are speaking out after Boise School District said law enforcement is investigating what it described as "highly inappropriate and concerning" social media posts involving students.

Now, over 3,000 people have signed a petition that alleges several Timberline students made violent and sexually explicit threats toward a student. The district has released few details about the incident, but it says that support is available for students, staff, and families affected by the situation.

For Timberline junior Siena Caldwell, news of the posts spread quickly. She said she was shocked by what she was hearing.

"It's really surprising. You wouldn't expect that from your peers and people that you go to school with every day," Caldwell said. "It's scary, honestly, having those kinds of things being said."

The incident has become a major topic of discussion both on campus and online. Caldwell is among those who have signed an online petition calling for accountability as the investigation continues.

"If we, like the Timberline student body, don't come together as a unit, the proper accountability and repercussions won't come out of this," she said.

The petition states that "justice must be served" and calls for accountability, changes to school culture, and additional education surrounding respectful behavior. The petition's author is also encouraging supporters to boycott Timberline's upcoming homecoming football game until further action is taken.

Boise School District has not publicly released specific details about the content of the posts or identified any students involved.

Meanwhile, students say the allegations and discussion surrounding the incident have left many unsettled.

"I think surprise and fear are probably the initial things," Caldwell said.

Caldwell said many students, including herself, have seen screenshots circulating online that they say came from a Snapchat group chat.

She also said one of the messages allegedly referenced the separate "Cornell 7" investigation. Idaho News 6 has not independently verified the screenshots or their contents.

Her brother Theo Caldwell, a sophomore, said he signed the petition because he believes students should speak up.

"I feel like the student body needs to step up and sort of fill in that hole of showing these kids this is not OK," Theo Caldwell said. "We're not going to tolerate that."

He said many students are looking for answers as the investigation moves forward.

The Boise School District Board of Trustees issued this statement to parents and Idaho News 6 on Sunday night.

Dear Boise School District Families and Staff,

Thank you to all of you who have contacted us regarding the disturbing social media posts involving several students at Timberline high school. There have also been a number of questions regarding what has or has not been done by school officials and we hope this note will provide some clarity.

We were made aware of the situation on Friday and reported the posts to Boise Police that day. Boise Police asked us to pause any internal action until the reported threats had been reviewed and investigated by law enforcement, so as not to jeopardize any potential criminal investigation. At this time, Boise Police are continuing to investigate, and we are taking definitive steps to ensure the safety, security and privacy of our students and staff.

With an active investigation and the potential involvement of minors, we are limited to what we can share. While respecting privacy limits, we want to be as open, honest and transparent as possible to assure you that there is zero tolerance for the type of behavior and language attributed to any member of our school community. This is not who we are and we will not be defined by the actions of a few.

We understand that situations like this, where there is a lot of information circulating publicly, but seemingly little official action, are frustrating. And given the explicit content in the posts, emotions like anger, fear and sorrow are natural reactions.

Please know that we are working through this as quickly and as thoughtfully as possible. Boise Police are actively investigating and once completed, we will begin our own. We are implementing the measures available to us under state and federal law to ensure our students are safe and supported and our families and staff are informed. We will share updates on what steps will be taken at Timberline as they become available. More information about our policies regarding sexual misconduct and Title IX  are available on our website.

Once again, thank you to those who have reached out expressing your concern and providing additional information. We can only act when we are made aware. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work through this together.

Boise School District Board of Trustees

Idaho News 6 has requested additional information from Boise School District regarding the incident.

Boise Police provided Idaho News 6 with the following statement concerning the situation:

"On Friday, October 2, 2026, the Boise Police Department School Resource Officer Unit received information from school officials about a reported online threat involving Timberline High School students and began investigating the incident. Officers have been in contact with the Boise School District as part of the ongoing investigation. We do not have additional details to share at this time. Anyone who has direct knowledge about this incident and hasn’t spoken to police is urged to contact Ada County Non-Emergency Dispatch at (208)-377-6790."

Boise Police Department

The district is encouraging anyone with information related to the incident to contact Boise Police at 208-377-6790.