Urine in an Oven? Idaho Teacher Sues Over Contaminated Classroom

Published June 8, 2025 • Urine the News

Most people worry about overcooking their food — not cooking it alongside mouse urine and feces. But according to two lawsuits filed by Idaho teacher Michelle Chung, that’s exactly what’s been happening at Boise’s West Junior High.

Chung, who teaches family and consumer sciences (yes, that means cooking class), alleges that her classroom has been overrun with a rodent infestation for years. In her legal filings, she claims the ovens her students used were contaminated with mouse droppings and urine — and in one particularly nauseating incident, a baked mouse carcass was discovered inside an oven by a repair technician.

Despite raising the alarm for years, Chung says school and district officials failed to act meaningfully. Instead, she alleges they downplayed the problem, restricted her ability to communicate with parents and staff, and retaliated while she was on medical leave due to illness allegedly caused by the infestation.

Mice in the Machines

According to the lawsuits, filed in both Ada County’s 4th District Court and U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, the contamination wasn't limited to ovens. Chung claims mice had nested behind washers and inside sewing machine covers, and that students occasionally discovered decomposing mice under classroom sinks.

The school district has largely denied her claims and instead accused Chung of negligence, although they have yet to specify what behavior led to the accusation. While exterminators were reportedly called, they only placed traps outside the building, not in the classroom itself, Chung claims.

Contaminated and Constrained

One of Chung’s most disturbing claims is that an oven repair company found the insulation inside school ovens saturated with rodent feces and urine — long after students had been using them. Chung says she “had a complete breakdown” upon realizing the full extent of the contamination.

She also alleges that while she was out on medical leave, the district blocked her from coordinating with her substitute teacher or even accessing her email. All the while, she says, her efforts to raise awareness were met with internal messaging portraying her as “misleading.”

The lawsuits are ongoing, with a jury trial not scheduled until June 2026. Chung is still employed by the district but is now seeking tens of thousands in damages and accountability for what she describes as years of disregard for student and teacher safety.

For more, read the full article via East Idaho News.