Parents, administrators at odds over school mold

September 20, 2005

September 19, 2005

By MELISSA DIPANE

6 News Reporter

Knoxville,Tennessee

LENOIR CITY (WATE) -- Parents at Highland Park Elementary School in

Lenoir City say they have the proof their kids are in danger of

getting sick because of moldy conditions in the school.

Adminstrators say there's no cause for alarm.

The parents say a leaky air conditioner has led to the growth of a

dangerous level of mold.

" The mold is making kids sick, " Hendrix said.

She is one of many parents worried about the mold problem. She says

her daughter is suffering with a pain in her chest, sinus drainage,

cough, and sneezing.

Hendrix and other parents say students are showing other symptoms,

like nose bleeds, chronic asthma attacks and severe allergic

reactions.

Joe Veal says his daughter was so sick the family had to take

drastic measures.

" Since her symptoms have worsened we've taken her out of the

school, " he said. " Since she's been out of this school two weeks

now, she's well. "

Loudon County school officials say the school has been tested and

it's clean of mold.

" We had a test about a month ago that indicated the room was fairly

sterile, " Assistant Superintendent Tim Berry said.

But parents didn't trust the school's results, so they paid for

their own test to be done. That test showed high levels of mold in

four different classrooms.

One room had a type of mold that parents were told is toxic.

" It just seems we are getting the run around, " Veal said.

Though Loudon County school officials say their tests show the

school is free of mold, Berry says the entire school will be

retested by two different agencies just to make sure.

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