Diego Gardner-Garcia, 19, graduated from Eastside Catholic’s Options Program last year. His mother, Whitney Gardner, said an account claiming an association with O’Dea used his likeness in images that mocked and threatened him. The accounts involved are not operated by either school, and investigators have not found evidence that students at either school manage them.

The messages were sent to an Instagram account that says it is not affiliated with Eastside Catholic. That account posted screenshots of the messages on Instagram and TikTok, where they spread among students, according to graduates. Gardner-Garcia does not use social media without assistance; his sibling, a current Eastside senior, saw the posts.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association confirmed it received three harassment complaints from Eastside students about posts targeting Gardner-Garcia. The association gives schools 20 days to investigate and submit their findings. Eastside also reported an account targeting O’Dea to Instagram. Homophobic posts and videos featuring O’Dea football players’ faces had been removed by Saturday.

O’Dea Principal Jim Walker and Eastside Catholic Principal Soonja Larsen are conducting the investigation together. In a joint statement, school leaders said student well-being was their priority and that they intended to address harmful online conduct and its effects. Gardner said she wants those responsible to be held accountable and better educated.

Gardner-Garcia was a student-athlete in Eastside’s Options Program, which provides a high-school setting for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities and pairs them with peer tutors. He competed in bowling and Special Olympics track and field and remained a regular at Eastside football games after graduating. O’Dea, the two-time defending Class 3A state champion, beat Eastside 59-33 at Acosta Field on Friday.