For years, Michelle Chung has reported an ongoing infestation in her classroom at Boise’s West Junior High. Utilising rodents. She reported discovering mouse droppings and urine scattered throughout the room where she teaches family and consumer sciences, even finding them in the insulation of ovens utilised by students for cooking.
A repair technician reportedly discovered a mouse carcass baked inside one of the ovens, according to a lawsuit she filed. Despite her persistent efforts to highlight the issues, officials from the school and district have not only dismissed her concerns but have also allegedly hindered her ability to engage with parents and fellow educators, as stated in her two lawsuits against the Boise School District.
According to Chung, the school and district were fully aware of the infestation and the associated safety concerns, as stated in her initial lawsuit submitted last September in Ada County’s 4th District Court. She labelled the district’s reaction as both “reckless and intentional.” West Junior High and the district have dismissed Chung’s concerns, permitting mice to infest her lab room, where they have nested and contaminated the ovens and dishwashers with faeces and urine.
The situation has escalated, with nests found in Chung’s classroom behind the washing machine and within the covers of sewing machines in her curriculum closet’, the complaint states. In a recent legal action, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho in May, Chung has alleged that the school district retaliated against her for bringing attention to the infestation and infringed upon her rights during her medical leave due to health issues linked to the infestation.
The district has predominantly refuted Chung’s claims in its reply to the initial lawsuit. Chung faces allegations of “negligent and careless misconduct” related to the infestation, with claims that her actions “caused and contributed to” the problem. Ryan Hill, representing the district, refrained from addressing enquiries regarding the specific alleged behaviour, referencing the ongoing legal proceedings.
The district remains silent on the latest legal challenge. Chung, currently working with the Boise School District, discovered the infestation approximately six years ago after finding a mouse in her work bag, as detailed in her initial complaint.
The situation has escalated, according to the complaint, with students reportedly discovering decomposing and rotting mice beneath the sinks at times. Chung made several attempts to alert teachers and parents about the safety concerns in her classroom; however, the district issued “false and misleading communications” implying that Chung was being “misleading,” as stated in her complaint from last September. During Chung’s medical leave, the district prohibited her from discussing lesson plans with her substitute teacher and ultimately restricted her access to her school email account, as stated in her second lawsuit.
According to Chung, the school did bring in exterminators; however, they opted to set traps outside the building rather than inside the classroom. Chung asserted that Principal Janet Cherry downplayed the seriousness of the infestation, contending that due to the school’s location between two fields, “we can never guarantee that mice will not enter the building and/or your classroom,” as stated in a 2023 email from Cherry to Chung referenced in Chung’s complaint.
In early 2024, a shocking discovery was made by an oven repair company, revealing that the insulation in Chung’s classroom ovens was “covered with mice faeces and urine,” as stated in her initial complaint. In that moment, Chung revealed she experienced a total breakdown upon discovering that students had been using these ovens for cooking. Chung is pursuing substantial financial compensation in each of her legal actions.
A jury trial for her initial lawsuit is scheduled, but it won’t take place until June 2026.
