r ‘ 1 3
1 BEFORE THE TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION
2 OF THE STATE OF OREGON
3 In the Matter of the '
Teaching License of
4 STIPULATION AND ORDER
MARCIA JEAN MEYERS OF SUSPENSION
5
6
7 On January 24, 2000, the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (Commission)
8 issued a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing to Marcia Jean Meyers. Thereaﬁer, Ms. Meyers
9 requested a hearing through her attorney, Elizabeth Joffe. The Commission and Ms. Meyers
10 have now reviewed the issues connected with this proceeding and have determined that their
11 respective interests and the public interest are best served by a stipulation t0 certain facts and a
\ 12 suspension ost. Meyer’s Oregon Teaching License. Ms. Meyers understands that in entering
13 this stipulation she is waiving her right to a hearing, and the Commission will enter a suspension
14 of her teaching license.
15 STIPULATED FACTS
16 Ms. Meyers and the Commission stipulate as follows:
l7 l. Ms. Meyers holds a basic Oregon Teaching License. During the 1998-99 school year she
18 was employed as a sixth grade teacher at Damascus Middle School in the Gresham-Barlow
19 School District.
20 2. On or about June 4, 1999, in the course of teaching a science curriculum on using
21 microscopes, Ms. Meyers provided her students unsterilized bulletin board pushpins, encouraged
22 them to prick their ﬁngers, draw blood and smear it on a microscope slide. Under Meyers’
23 supervision, students in two classes shared the same pushpins to draw blood, and the pushpins
j, Page l - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION
ETD1tj h\GEN49432.DOC napalm“ 0mm
1162 Court Street NE
822?; $2335"

. 1 were not sterilized after use. Meyers took no precautions to protect the students from potential
2 exposure to blood-borne pathogens.
3 3. The District had provided some training to teachers in procedures to avoid
4 potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Ms. Meyers acknowledged that she had attended
5 at least one of these training sessions some time in the past ﬁve years, but she was unable to
6 attend the training in the 1998-99 school year because it was held while she was teaching
7 outdoor school.
8 4. Following this incident, the school placed Ms. Meyers on paid administrative
9 leave, and she resigned her position with the district on July 16, 1999. She has not been
10 employed as a teacher since that date.
1 l ~
. \
12 d
‘ ia Jean Meyers Date
13 [v ' M
. " é
14 4w >// [w
David V. Myton Date
15 Executive Director
Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
16
l7 CONCLUSION 0F LAW
18 Marcia Jean Meyers violated OAR 584-020-0040(4)(n) and 584-020-0010(5) by her
19 actions which allowed students to be exposed to a potential risk of blood-borne pathogen
20 transmission.
21 ///
22 ///
23 ///
Page 2 - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION
ETD:tjh\GEN49432.DOC Department of Justice
1162 Court Street NE
Salem. OR 97310
(503) 378-6003

‘ I 4 v
. 1 DISCUSSION
2 Ms. Meyers’ choice in allowing the students to proceed with a science unit on
3 microscopes in the manner in which she did demonstrated extremely poor judgment. It placed
4 her students at risk for exposure to serious disease. Her actions could also have placed the
5 district at substantial liability. She does not dispute the facts as set forth above. She notes that
6 she had never before been assigned to teach a lab class and had not taught any science class for
7 several years. She has lost her position as a result of her actions.
8 The Commission views a repeat violation as highly unlikely and therefore, does not
9 consider probation necessary. In this case, a period of suspension is warranted. But because
10 Ms. Meyers resigned her position in July 1999 and has not been engaged in teaching since that
11 time, the Commission will impose a retroactive suspension that is effective from January 15,
12 2000.
.13 ORDER
l4 The Oregon Teaching License of Marcia Jean Meyer shall be suspended for a period of
15 six months retroactive from January 15, 2000 to June 14, 2000.
16 DATED this g ‘1” my of May 2000.
l7 TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES CONllVHSSlON
l 8 r
19 By: 4655111‘ ‘liu ‘
David V. Myton, Executive Director
20
Approved as to form:
21
22 460% QQ [117:6 $ﬁ2 Q‘; ~7E ( O Z 0 O
Elizab offe, OSB #"940' 4 ' . .2 D e
23 Of Attorneys for Marcia Jean Meyers
Page 3 - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION
ETD:tjh\GEN49432.DOC Depanmentoflustice
1162 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97310
(503) 318-6003