The Boise (Idaho) School District has agreed to pay $720,000 to settle assertions by a junior high school teacher that years of rodent contamination in her classroom endangered students and made her seriously ill.
KTVB-TV reports that Michelle Chung, who taught family and consumer sciences at West Junior High for six years, filed two complaints against the district – a federal lawsuit alleging violations of the Family Medical Leave Act and a state tort claim over what she described as unsafe working conditions.
Chung alleged that the infestation in room 113 began in 2019 and persisted for years despite repeated complaints to administrators. Chung said she was later diagnosed with Babesiosis, a tick-borne illness her doctors linked to her exposure to rodents in the classroom.
The Boise district issued a statement that it agreed to resolve the case "to avoid protracted litigation and attendant disruption to students, staff, and district operations."
Of the $720,000 total, $550,000 is being paid by the district's insurer and $170,000 was paid directly by Boise schools
Chung says that the district agreed in the settlement to have an independent company conduct a thorough inspection of the exterior of West Junior High school, her classroom, and inside the classroom walls and HVAC system to ensure that the building is safe. The district also agreed to remediate any weaknesses or vulnerabilities identified by the inspection.
