Former North student seeks $2.4 million from Salem-Keizer School District over wood shop injury
A North Salem High School graduate is seeking $2.4 million from the Salem-Keizer School District after cutting off his finger during a wood shop class in 2022.
Erick Jimenez Landeta filed the lawsuit Sept. 12 in Marion County Circuit Court. He claims he was not properly trained or supervised on operating a planer, a device that cuts boards or lumber, which resulted in his injury during class Sept. 23, 2022.
The Statesman Journal first reported on the lawsuit.
“During operation of the planer, (Jimenez Landeta)’s left hand was seized by the planer’s cutter head, mangling his index and ring fingers and completely amputating his middle finger down to the metacarpal bone. The damage to his hand was catastrophic,” the suit claims.
Jimenez Landeta was 15 at the time.
His attorney, Higinio Arellano, did not respond to a phone call from Salem Reporter seeking more information about the suit.
The school district does not dispute that Jimenez Landeta was injured during class, district spokesman Aaron Harada said. He said the district otherwise did not have any comment on the allegations in the suit.
The student’s injury required two surgeries at Salem Hospital and ongoing orthopedic care. It also caused psychological harm and depression, and “severely inhibited” his ability to do daily tasks like getting dressed and chores, the complaint alleges.
“(Jimenez Landeta) continues to deal with discomfort, pain and physical impairment in his left hand,” the suit claims.
He is seeking at least $418,000 for past and future medical expenses and lost wages, as well as $2 million in noneconomic damages.
Jimenez Landeta graduated from North in 2025, Harada said.
Middle and high schools in the district offer a variety of career education programs, many of which involve power tools and specialized equipment.
Harada said in May 2023, the district implemented a safety program outlined in a 82-page manual, which includes required safety orientations for students and Occupational Health and Safety Administration training for both instructors and students in programs that use such tools.
“Workers aged 15-24 years old are 1.5 times more likely to be seriously injured on the job than any other age group. There have been numerous safety campaigns to decrease the injuries for that age group, with no success for decades. We believe by educating students about safety before they enter the workforce will help reduce the injuries in this age group,” the manual says.
Since Jimenez Landeta’s injury, Harada said district career and technical education programs have recorded two injuries which required outside medical attention, including injuries to fingertips and abrasions to the face.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for over a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
