Boise teacher claims she contracted Lyme diseasefrom mice in classroom

BOISE — On Sept. 25, a teacher from West Junior High School filed a tort claim against Boise School District, alleging that she contracted Lyme disease from mice in her classroom.

According to the tort claim, Michelle Chung has been notifying the school’s principal about the mice infestation in her classroom for over six years. Mice have also been found in the school’s food bank. Chung’s family-and-consumer-science course is a popular one that typically has a waitlist and involves the use of ovens and food preparation, according to the tort claim.

Lyme disease is contracted from ticks that feed on infected hosts, usually rodents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include fever, rash, physical paralysis, irregular heartbeat and arthritis, among others.

The school opened in 2008.

In an email to the Idaho Press, Boise School District said it is standard practice for it not to comment on pending litigation.

“We remain committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and healthy environment for all students and staff and will continue to follow established procedures to ensure the well-being of our school community,” Dan Hollar, BSD public affairs administrator, wrote.

A tort claim, filed by a party who intends to later file a lawsuit, is a legal action meant to compensate a victim for various damages, including emotional, physical or financial losses.

Chung declined to speak on the record for this story.

The mice problem became apparent to Chung when she found a mouse in her work bag after returning home one day from work, the tort claim says. She emailed the school’s principal and head custodian in January 2023, when her students found rotting mice under sinks and a mouse nest in the classroom, according to the tort claim. The principal did not hire an exterminator but asked the custodian to put more mousetraps in the classroom, according to the tort claim.

On several occasions, the school principal took Chung’s classroom apart and cleaned it, but did not contact an exterminator to address the issue, the tort claim says. In February 2024, the tort claim says, the principal also did not inform the district about the mice infestation.

“Despite knowing of the mice infestation from (the teacher’s) repeated reports, West Junior High and the District knowingly disregarded the infestation issue and the known safety issues associated with the mice infestation affecting not only her but staff and students,” the tort claim reads.

The teacher who filed the tort claim alleges that mice urinated, defecated and nested in ovens and dishwashers in her classroom. On one occasion in March 2024, the class ovens cooked a dead mouse, the tort claim said.

When Chung attempted to tell other teachers and parents about her concerns, the school district put out false statements to staff and parents, insinuating that the teacher was lying, according to the tort claim. According to the tort claim, the district has never corrected any of its prior statements to staff or parents regarding the mice.

After many incidents, the last one in August of this year, the teacher said she was forced to take family and medical leave to address her Lyme disease diagnosis.

Emily White is a reporter for the Idaho Press. She covers Boise and Ada counties.

with an emphasis on education. Follow her on Twitter @EmilyWhite177 and email her at ewhite@idahopress.com