A 61-year-old counselor at Happy Valley Elementary School is facing criminal charges after police say she crashed into a Portland apartment complex on Sept. 13 with a blood-alcohol content of .556 percent — nearly seven times the state's legal limit of .08 percent. It was, officials said, the third crash in 18 months in which alcohol was allegedly involved for Joni Lynn Clayton.
Clayton faces charges of criminal driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, criminal mischief and driving under the influence of intoxicants in connection with the crash, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. The North Clackamas School District confirmed through spokesperson Curtis Long, in an email, that Clayton works as a counselor at Happy Valley Elementary School, and the district has put her on leave while it investigates the incident.
The crash left serious damage behind. An apartment manager estimated the repair cost at $50,000, KATU reported, citing court documents from the case. Prosecutors filed charges tied to the Sept. 13 crash on Oct. 2, and Clayton was cited to appear in court on Oct. 13 to face the DUII, criminal driving while suspended, reckless driving and criminal mischief counts, per the same outlet's review of court records.
A Pattern Stretching Back to 2025
The September crash wasn't an isolated event. In June 2026, Clayton allegedly crashed into a car, causing it to slam into the vehicle in front of it; a breathalyzer later recorded her blood-alcohol content at .24 percent, the report notes. She faces reckless driving and DUII charges in that case, which remains open.
Court records reviewed by KATU show she consented to a breath test after the June 11 crash, which was described as a three-vehicle collision. That report similarly placed her blood-alcohol level at .24 at the time.
Her history goes back further still. On April 1, 2025, Clayton drove into a fence and later pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and DUII. Her blood-alcohol content that day was reported differently by the two outlets covering the case: the article notes police said it was .492 percent, while KATU's review of a hospital blood draw put the figure at .49. Court records show Clayton has two other open DUII cases beyond the newest charges, according to KATU's reporting.
Interlock Device Was Never Installed
Perhaps the most troubling detail to emerge involves a court-ordered safeguard that was supposed to prevent exactly this kind of repeat offense. Clayton had been sentenced to a substance use disorder diversion program but failed to complete it, and police later learned that a court-ordered ignition interlock device had not been installed after the September crash, the article states.
An ignition interlock device, known as an IID, is attached to a vehicle's ignition and is designed to prevent the car from being operated by someone who has consumed alcohol, according to the Oregon State Police. Under a DUII diversion agreement, participants are generally required to install and use an approved IID in any vehicle they operate while driving privileges exist, if the court orders it, per the Oregon Judicial Department.
Clayton also has an open citation for refusing to take a test for intoxicants, the same report notes. She explained her failure to finish the diversion program by saying she had completed much of the required paperwork but could not finish on time because a death required her to travel out of town, per that account.
A Separate Harassment Conviction
The DUII cases aren't the only legal trouble in Clayton's recent record. She was convicted of telephonic harassment in August after sending vulgar texts and voicemails to her ex-husband and his new wife, the outlet reported.
Medical context underscores the severity of the September reading. A blood-alcohol content between .30 and .40 percent can cause alcohol poisoning in most people, while levels above .40 percent can cause coma and respiratory arrest and can be fatal, according to the same source. Clayton's reported .556 percent reading from the apartment complex crash sits well above that threshold.
Oregon's Broader Interlock Gap
Clayton's case lands amid wider scrutiny of how Oregon supervises repeat DUII offenders. A state impaired-driving program assessment recommended providing adequate resources to improve supervision and monitoring of DUII offenders at all stages of the process, specifically citing ignition interlock devices and misdemeanor offenders as areas needing attention, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, Enrolled House Bill 4041 will classify criminal driving while suspended or revoked as a Class A misdemeanor when the suspension or revocation falls within specified categories, according to the Oregon Legislature.
Clayton's case isn't the only extreme blood-alcohol reading to surface in Oregon this year. In Springfield, police said Nichole Taylor had a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.50 when she crashed into a power pole, according to KEZI. Taylor now faces charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants and driving with a suspended license.
For now, Clayton remains on leave from Happy Valley Elementary as the school district's investigation continues, and she is set to appear in court on Oct. 13 to face the charges stemming from the September crash.
