Investigators: Is School Mold Making Your Kid Sick?

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Investigators: Is School Mold Making Your Kid Sick?

Posted: 11:24 a.m. EST February 27, 2003Updated: 11:31 a.m. EST February 27, 2003

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. -- Channel 10 Investigators have learned of a looming lawsuit against the Miami-Dade Public School District by teachers who believe their school is sick and has put their health at risk. They say it's being caused by mold. Investigative reporter Jilda Unruh joins us with what she has uncovered. Unruh: The Investigators have received so many complaints about Miami-Dade Schools with mold problems it would be impossible to report on every one of them. So we have focused on two schools, where teachers were willing to talk openly about the health crisis they say they've faced, because of what they and their doctors believe is an unhealthy work environment. Unurh: These petri dishes, sealed in plastic for protection, are black with mold, samples of what's inside some of the air conditioning vents at Hammocks Middle School, according to the two teachers who brought them to our attention. Unruh: What was your reaction when you saw these? Debbie Eubanks -- Teacher: Being a science teacher, it was quite shocked to see the quantity of mold that exists in those petri dishes. Unruh: Debbie Eubanks has taught science at Hammocks Middle for 19 years. Carmen Campmany has been an art teacher there for 17 years. Carmen Campmany -- Teacher: I was horrified. This is bad enough for adults, but for growing children, I can't imagine them breathing this in. Unruh: Collecting the petri molds was the brainchild of Hammock's principal Vera Hirsh, who allowed us to tour some of the rooms tested for mold. She says she asked another science teacher to conduct the experiment in a number of rooms, including Ms. Eubanks and Ms. Campmany's. Unruh: Air conditioning vents were swabbed, and within two to three days, the school says these petri dishes were blanketed in black, with what everyone who has seen them, believes is mold. Campmany: This is what we're breathing. Unruh: The women plan to have the petri dishes officially tested, as part of their lawsuit, which they have told the district they intend to file. But Campmany and Eubanks say they have no doubt the black crud is mold. Eubanks: I suspected it because of the water intrusion and the problems we have seen over the years at that school. Campmany: Whenever it would rain there would be water coming in between the wall and the windows. The walls never dried. Eubanks: You can't go into the computer lab room on a rainy day now. Unruh: Which is exactly what we did last week, right after a rainstorm. Eubanks: And the paint will bubble out and you can push on the bubble and the water from the rain just runs down the wall right down to the light sockets and everything. It's scary. Unruh: Although we didn't feel dampness, it does look like there's been some bubbling around these sockets. Unruh: According to a report in Education Week, "Mold in school is no accident." Experts say it's the legacy of cheap construction materials, poor ventilation, sloppy maintenance and water leaks that go unchecked or are improperly repaired -- turning ceiling tiles, wallboards or wood into ready to eat mold food. Soto started teaching art at Leisure City Elementary this school year. By October 16, she says the school had made her sick. Soto -- Teacher: Headaches, migraines. I've never suffered from migraines --vomiting, nausea, general weakness, feeling like I was dizzy and faint. Unurh: All symptoms of mold exposure. Experts say some molds, such as black mold, are even known to produce potent toxins. Currently, there are no medical tests that can determine ones exposure to mold toxins. Soto: Children faint for no reason. They have nosebleeds in class. I started having nosebleeds. Unruh: Each time she returned to work, she says she'd get sick again. In late January, she was taken from school in an ambulance, and ended up in the hospital diagnosed with respiratory problems, and mold allergies, which she says her doctors attribute to an unhealthy work environment. When we toured the school last week, we did see signs of major repairs and clean up under way in a group of portables with a history of problems. Soto, who is no expert, looked at our video and was adamant. Mold is still present at Leisure City. Soto: There. That's mold. You can see it even took a part of the door and it's taken a part of the ceiling. The AC ducts have a lot of mold. You can see that they're black on the inside. I can't believe we're breathing this stuff. I mean this is the stuff that's going into our lungs and creating infection. It's horrible. Unruh: Soto says, she is now one of more than a dozen teachers at Leisure City out on workman's comp. Soto: I'm afraid to back to work. I'm so afraid of something permanent happening to me. I mean I can get another job, but I can't get another set of lungs. Unruh: The school district says no teachers are out on workman's comp and Leisure City and the spokesman declined our request to be interviewed due to the possible litigation. They did issue a statement, which says in part, "The district is proactively addressing water intrusion and humidity concerns at a number of schools and will seek to recover damages from contractors and architects who may be held accountable." Unruh: The district is proactively addressing water intrusion and humidity concerns at a number of schools and will seek to recover damages from contractors and architects who may be held accountable. Although experts disagree on the health effects of mold, they do agree that it's immediate removal is necessary to prevent re-growth. Just painting over it doesn't solve anything.

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