Corner Canyon teacher in ICU with COVID-19; 500 students quarantined

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DRAPER – A Corner Canyon High School teacher is in critical condition in an intensive care unit due to COVID-19.

Known lovingly as “Mama J” by her students, Charri Jensen is a favorite at the high school.

“She loves Corner Canyon more than anyone I know,” Talesha Jensen said about about her mom. “I mean, not even just Corner Canyon; she just has the biggest heart.”

Last week Charri Jensen started coming down with what her family called “a cough and cold-like symptoms.” She decided to get tested after her co-worker tested positive for COVID-19.

The test was positive.

Less than a week later, her symptoms were much worse. She went to a family doctor who sent her to the hospital. By that point, her oxygen had dropped so low she was admitted and intubated.

Corner Canyon is now leading the state with 42 confirmed cases and more than 500 students and faculty members under quarantine.

Last week, Canyons School District leaders put the school on a hybrid schedule. That means the student body is split in half, and each half attends school every other day in an effort to slow the spread and limit exposure.

The Canyons School Board is meeting Friday to determine what to do next. Initial recommendations from the Utah Department of Health were that schools should close if they exceeded 15 cases or 10% of the student body, whichever was lower.

Corner Canyon parents have rallied to keep the school open.

“Everything is on the table,” said CSD Director of Communications Jeff Haney. “The feedback that we are getting is a significant number of our community would like to see school remain open – even in a hybrid fashion.”

However, Charri Jensen’s condition could change that.

Heidi Matthews from the Utah Education Association said she hopes the school reconsiders the guidelines and closes the school.

“We know the most important key to success for our students is who is in front of the classroom,” Matthews said. “And we have to assure the safety of our students and their families. In doing so, we must look out for those teachers who are implementing the curriculum.”

Talesha Jensen admitted she didn’t take COVID-19 seriously until her family saw how fast the virus spread. She said she thinks the school should close to help stop the spread.

“I haven’t stopped crying. I pray with everything inside of me that she’s gonna pull through,” she said. “Corner Canyon needs her. I need her.”

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Debbie Worthen

Debbie Worthen brings nearly two decades of award-winning journalism experience to the KSL Newsroom and is thrilled be working for Utah’s legacy news organization. She anchors KSL 5 News at 4 and Live at 5 with Mike Headrick and reports for KSL 5 News at 10pm. There are countless things Debbie enjoys about working in local news, but storytelling is at the top of the list. Whether it’s meeting the remarkable people of Utah as they do amazing things, informing viewers of critical breaking news and issues that impact their communities or reporting on daily assignments like weather and traffic, Debbie is honored to be the one trusted to tell Utahn’s stories. She believes journalistic integrity and a commitment to accuracy have never been more important than they are now. Debbie started her career as a writer, producer and traffic reporter while finishing her communications degree at The University of Utah before making the jump to a full-time on-air position. (Although you could say she caught the news “bug” at KOLT-News at Cottonwood High School.) After several moves across the country, Debbie and her husband, Brandon Gilbert, moved to Utah to start their family. They love everything Utah has to offer and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside the office, Debbie and her family are advocates for at-risk youth and have fostered several children through Utah Foster Care. As a family they enjoy movie nights in the basement, trying new recipes and, a few times a year, traveling to exotic locations!