The Boise School District agreed to a $34,000 settlement that ends a lawsuit brought by a former Boise High student who said she encountered a transgender classmate in the girls’ restroom on two occasions. The case, filed under Idaho’s Senate Bill 1100 marked the first private cause of action ever pursued after the law’s enactment in 2023. While the district’s insurance paid $10,000 for the alleged privacy violations and $24,000 for attorney fees, the district denied any wrongdoing, emphasizing that the agreement merely resolves disputed claims.
Background: Idaho’s school bathroom statute
Senate Bill 1100 requires all public schools in Idaho to maintain separate bathroom, locker-room, and changing facilities based on a student’s biological sex at birth. The legislation also creates a private cause of action permitting any student to sue a school district that fails to comply. Enacted by Republican lawmakers in 2023, the bill was temporarily halted by a federal injunction issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 26, 2023. That stay lasted until March 20, 2025, when the appellate court lifted the block and upheld the law’s constitutionality.
The lawsuit and settlement
The plaintiff, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleged that in January and February 2025 she found a biological male student inside the girls’ restroom at Boise High. The second incident, according to the complaint, involved the student allegedly masturbating with his shoes pointed toward her. Jane’s father, using the pseudonym John Doe, described the episodes as a “breach of her privacy” and noted that school staff had told them the district’s policy allowed students who identify as female to use the bathroom of their choice.
Jane’s legal representation came from the Idaho Family Policy Center (IFPC) Legal Center, a conservative Christian lobbying group that co-authored SB 1100. After the district sought dismissal on the ground that the federal stay was still in effect, Ada County District Judge Lynn Norton rejected the motion in July 2025, ruling that the stay inhibited enforcement but did not bar the private cause of action. The case was slated for trial in 2026, but the parties reached a settlement before that date.
Reactions and legal implications
IFPC Legal Center Director Caleb Pirc hailed the outcome as a “ground-breaking” win, stating, “Men don’t belong in restrooms designated for girls—period. Other Idaho public schools should take note that compliance with the law isn’t optional.” The district’s public affairs administrator, Dan Hollar, responded that the settlement “resolves disputed claims” while reiterating that the district “continues to maintain that it acted appropriately” and that “neither the District nor any of its employees admits, acknowledges, or concedes any fault, wrongdoing, liability, or other misconduct.”
The settlement closes the first lawsuit filed under SB 1100, setting a precedent for future private actions. While the specific terms remain confidential, the case underscores the tension between state-mandated gender-based facility policies and schools’ attempts to accommodate transgender students during periods of legal uncertainty. Legal scholars note that the decision may influence how other Idaho districts craft bathroom policies now that the federal stay has been removed.
