NURSING HOME CANCELS TRAINING

Move Comes After Concerns Raised About Drug Screen For Health Care Students

RIPON -- The Ripon Unified School District is immediately canceling
its certified nursing assistant program though the term is only half
over, district officials said Tuesday. The move comes after questions
about a drug screening last month for the 15 students in the class.

A Ripon woman was dismissed after testing positive for cocaine. But
the student, Kiana Crayton of Ripon, produced two subsequent tests
showing she was drug-free.

She got her first clean test at Doctors Medical Center 31/2hours
after testing positive for cocaine. She took the second test the next day.

On Jan. 31, The Bee published two stories in which drug policy
professionals questioned relying on the kind of test Crayton and
other students were given Jan. 17 at Bethany Home, a nursing home
where they were supposed to work as part of their studies.

Crayton and one other person failed the test, according to the
district. A third dropped out upon finding out about the screening.

Friday, two days after the stories, the school district received a
letter from Bethany Home advising that it was ending the agreement
for the nursing program, said Lisa Boje, the district's curriculum
and instruction director.

She referred questions to Bethany Home, where Executive Director
Andrew Lee said he was "not at liberty to talk on that."

Bethany Home officials wouldn't disclose what kind of test they gave.

Bethany Home Administrator Barbara Camping acknowledged last week
that the nursing home doesn't verify test results through an
independent lab. She said Bethany Home performed the test again on
students whose first results turned up positive.

Students, meanwhile, voiced frustration that the course was scuttled,
Boje said.

"Now, even if we can get into a Modesto program, we're talking about
next fall," said Suze Black, 40, of Ripon. "And we would test in
December. We wouldn't be eligible to work until January '08, so we've
lost a year. And I realize we're talking about a $9- or $10-an-hour
job, but it is still a loss of income."

Black and the other students in the class started getting calls
Monday from Boje, telling them the class was canceled. She said she
made more calls Tuesday.

The two-month class started Jan. 9. It had been on hiatus since Feb.
1 for a scheduled leave by the instructor and was scheduled to
restart Thursday, Black said.

Boje said the agreement with Bethany Home allowed the nursing home to
cancel with 30 days' notice. In theory, students could still work
there until then. But a flu outbreak at Bethany Home has put
practical work on hold, Boje said, and students wouldn't have time to
finish before the 30 days are up.

The course was scheduled to end March 15, Black said.

Complicating matters, education regulations require school districts
to use medical facilities within their districts for practical work,
and Bethany Home is the only one that can provide the training in the
district, Boje said.

So the district had no choice but to shut down the program. Boje said
students will be reimbursed their $75 course fee and will get the
names of other certified nursing assistant programs.

"It's absolutely a disappointment," Boje said, adding the district
hopes to continue the program in the future. "The doors are always
open. We would like to keep the partnership."

Modesto attorney Adam Stewart is representing Crayton.

"It certainly looks like some clear civil rights violations," he said Tuesday.

Black said she feels Bethany Home is retaliating against the students
because Crayton came forward.

"I feel 12 people were sacrificed so that a lawyer for someone,
probably Bethany Home, could say, 'We didn't discriminate against
her; we didn't let anyone in the program.' So somehow, they are
reducing their liability, which I don't agree with because you don't
retaliate against a group. That's what I feel is happening here. They
are doing damage control for a lawsuit."

Black worked as an executive assistant until two years ago when she
decided she needed to stay home with her youngest son, who has Down
syndrome. She said she had hoped to work at Bethany Home's
Alzheimer's facility when her son goes to kindergarten next year.

She said she first went to that home, Beth Haven, last spring to
organize a party as a service project for the Ripon Red Hatters.

"I brought my youngest son, and the residents loved it. I fell in
love -- so in love with the people," she said. "With getting to know
them and them getting to know me every time. I was totally enchanted
and charmed. I felt so good going there that I wanted to do that
every day. So it became my goal to get the training I needed so that
I can make that a career."

She had waited since spring for the class in Ripon so she could stay
in town and work at Bethany Home. The 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. class worked
with her schedule because she could leave her son home with his
14-year-old twin brothers.

She said she might apply for a job working with seniors but, "I don't
feel very worthy right now. I know it's not my fault, but I feel I
was just kicked to the curb."