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BYU-I sexual abuse Title IX lawsuit moves forward after 6 years
A federal judge determined this month that the six-year-old lawsuit against Brigham Young University-Idaho, revolving around allegations of sexual impropriety, must move forward. A female student filed the lawsuit in 2016, alleging a professor was sexually harassing and abusing her at the university. The professor, Stephen Stokes, died in July 2016 due to complications during […]
Execution chemical secrecy bill brought back for vote, moves to Senate
The Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee brought back a bill on executions by lethal injection Monday, moving it forward in a 5-4 vote, after it stayed in committee last week due to a tie. Last week, House Bill 658 stayed in committee due to a 4-4 vote. Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, was absent during that […]
Idaho superintendent candidate won’t be charged, but wife faces misdemeanor
This story was originally published on the Idaho Reports blog on March 8. Branden Durst, candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, will not be criminally charged for accusations made regarding child abuse allegations. The Ada County Prosecutor’s Office did, however, charge Durst’s wife with misdemeanor injury to child after law enforcement routed them the report for […]
Idaho House committee approves bill to prohibit gender-confirmation medical treatment
This story was originally published on March 4, 2022, on the Idaho Reports blog. The Idaho House State Affairs Committee passed a bill that would prohibit gender-confirmation surgery from being performed on children, even if they had parental consent. Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, introduced the bill that would add to the existing law for “female […]
Court issues child protection order against candidate for Idaho schools chief
This story was originally published on the Idaho Reports blog on Friday, Feb. 18. A candidate for Idaho state superintendent of schools is accused of encouraging an act of child abuse, according to a temporary protection order granted this week by a Washington state court. The court granted an order against Branden Durst and his current […]
SWITC again sees demand for more staff amid Medicaid compliance issues
The Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, a state-run facility with a troubled past, is again seeing a shortage of staff available to help clients, an issue that could jeopardize its licensing and ability to accept federal funding. The Nampa facility, commonly called SWITC, is a temporary home to people who are intellectually disabled and mentally ill […]
Idaho Department of Correction replaces prison health care provider
As coronavirus continues to rage across Idaho’s unvaccinated population, the Idaho Department of Correction has changed health care providers. IDOC is responsible for the health care of roughly 8,000 people in the department’s custody. For more than 10 years, the department contracted with Corizon Health. Corizon was established in 2011, after merging with two other […]
Staffer who accused representative of rape files tort claim against Idaho Legislature
The former legislative intern who claimed a state representative sexually assaulted her and faced an ethics hearing has taken the first step in civil litigation. On Sept. 3, attorney Erika Birch filed a tort claim with the state on behalf of the 19-year-old woman, identified as Jane Doe. Idaho Reports obtained a copy of the […]
Idaho governor issues emergency declaration for wildfire season
Originally published on the Idaho Reports blog on Friday, July 9. As temperatures soar this week and the drought continues, Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued an emergency declaration related to wildfire Friday. Little also mobilized Idaho National Guard firefighters and aircraft to assist in the effort. Northern areas of the state have reported fires starting […]