BOISE, Idaho — First-year Boise School District Trustee Shiva Rajbhandari released a formal apology Monday following the board’s executive session for a profane tweet directed at Idaho Gov. Brad Little last week.
Rajbhandari, an 18-year-old senior at Boise High School, criticized Little for signing a law that bans gender-affirming care for Idaho youths who identify as transgender and non-binary.
“F--- you @GovernorLittle,” Rajbhandari wrote last week. “I pray you live a long life so you can bear witness to the pain you’ve unleashed on Idaho’s children and families today. When you do die though, I’m pissing on your grave.”
During a two-part executive session that lasted nearly three hours in total, the board concluded that Rajbhandari violated the Board of Trustees Code of Ethics and an apology would not be sufficient. Rajbhandari agreed to step down from the governance committee and will not attend graduation ceremonies as a trustee.
“Mr. Rahjbhandari apologized to the board and the board has accepted his apology. This does not, however, mean that Mr. Rahjbhandari will not face consequences for his actions,” the board wrote in a statement. “Mr. Rajbhandari has outlined the steps he will take to rebuild trust with the board and the community that are consistent with our district’s values of respect, dignity, honesty, responsibility and teamwork.”
Rajbhandari has since deleted the profane tweet and released a formal apology in a statement from the board late Monday night.
“I’m sure everyone here has seen my profane tweet on my personal account toward the governor. I want to address that today,” Rajbhandari wrote. “To our patrons, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I communicated in a way that was crude and cruel and violated your trust in me. To our students, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that during a time of crisis, I failed to act as a role model for all of you and that I failed to represent the articulate, unrelenting, and kind people that I know all of you to be. To our staff, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I failed in my personal life to abide by the same standards that you are asked to abide by.
“And to our board, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that my actions reflected poorly on each of your characters and values.”
Little’s signature on House Bill 71 makes Idaho the 10th U.S. state to ban gender-affirming care, according to previous Statesman reporting. Idaho physicians who provide such care to transgender minors could face up to 10 years in prison for violating the law.
Rajbhandari told the Idaho Statesman last week that he did not intend to offend anyone but was “unapologetic in my commitment in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community” and against Little’s action.
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