ABC 7 Medical: Sick School?

[Guest guest]

ABC 7 Medical: Sick School?

Monday October 24, 2005 5:45pm Reporter: Kathy Fowler

Washington,DC

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1005/271481.html

eVideo: Medical: Sick School?

-WJLA Script-

Anchor:

TEACHERS AT ONE Montgomery County (website - news) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NOTICED AN INCREASING NUMBER OF THEIR STUDENTS SUFFERING FROM

RASHES, NOSE BLEEDS, HEADACHES AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.

THEY BELIEVE IT'S CAUSED BY MOLD IN THE SCHOOL.

ABC-7 NEWS MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER WENT TO THE SCHOOL TO

INVESTIGATE.

Kathy Fowler:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE ON TOP OF THIS MOLD

PROBLEM, BUT SOME PARENTS DISAGREE AND ARE THREATENING TO PULL THEIR

CHILDREN OUT OF THE SCHOOL.

Jack : " he saw my tongue and my vocal cords.. my swollen vocal

cords. "

EVER SINCE 8-YEAR OLD JACK wright WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AT DUFIEF

ELEMENTARY IN MONTOGMERY COUNTY HE'S HAD RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.

JACK'S PARENTS SAY ANTIBIOTICS, ALLERGY MEDICINE , EVEN STEROIDS

DON'T HELP - THEY BELIEVE " MOLD " IN JACK'S SCHOOL IS MAKING HIM

SICK.

, Father: " He's never had health issues like this before,

all the sudden he does.

Jack : " I want my voice back. "

IN AUGUST TEACHERS AND CUSTODIAL STAFF RETURNED TO DUFIEF ELEMENTARY

TO FIND BLACK AND GREEN MOLD GROWING EVERYWHERE - FROM CEILINGS TO

FLOORS. A STAFFER WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED DESCRIBED WHAT

THEY SAW.

Custodian: " I couldn't believe what I seen.. her cabinets had black

mold.. everyone of her desk had black mold...every chair... even the

floor.. had black mold on it.. and it stunk.. it was the worst

smell. "

, Montgomery County Schools: " we've done extensive

cleaning, cleaned all the air vents, used hepa air filters. "

BUT EXTENSIVE CLEANING DIDN'T PREVENT THE MOLD PROBLEM FROM COMING

BACK. THAT'S WHEN SCHOOL OFFICIALS ORDERED AIR QUALITY TESTS THAT

REVEALED POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LEVELS OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI - IN

SOME CASES THE REPORT LISTS " OVERLOADED " WHERE MOLD SPORES WERE TOO

HIGH TO COUNT.

Custodian: " So you keep cleaning??? yeah.. but the mold???? came

back yeah... Keeps coming back. "

INDOOR AIR QUALITY EXPERTS WHO WORK FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SAY THE

MOLD PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A THERMOSTAT MISTAKENLY SET TOO LOW OVER

THE SUMMER. BUT A SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER SAYS THE REAL PROBLEM IS A

LEAKING ROOF.

ABC-7 NEWS WENT UNDERCOVER TO INVESTIGATE. WHEN WE LOOKED BEHIND A

BRAND NEW CEILING TILE THAT REPLACED A WATER-STAINED ONE, and

DISCOVERED a HOLE IN THE ROOF.

WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED IT HERE... YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE SKY FROM THE

CLASSROOM.

: There's a hole in the roof??? yeah .. there's a hole

in the roof.. you can see through the classroom?? the only thing

between the sky and the classroom is a tile.. that would need to be

repaired quickly. "

ABC-7 NEWS OBTAINED WORK ORDERS THAT SHOW THE PROBLEMS WERE FIRST

REPORTED AT LEAST 3 YEARS AGO. HEALTH EXPERTS SAY MOLD CAN CAUSE

ALLERGIES AND HEALTH ISSUES EVEN IN HEALTHY CHILDREN...

Children's Environmental Health Network: W'll see lots of asthma who

have long-term exposure to mold... Definitely respiration

infractions.. lots of wheezing and coughing. "

ONE TEACHER, WHO WANTS HER IDENTITY CONCEALED SAYS SHE'S TIRED OF

GETTING SICK AND WORRIES ABOUT HER STUDENTS

Teacher: " Do you feel your health is at risk?? Yes I " m scared.. i'm

afraid.. i'm afraid for the kids.. I'm terrified for the kids. "

BUT MANY PARENTS HAVE LOST FAITH IN THE SCHOOL'S PLANS TO FIX

PROBLEMS... THEY'RE HOLDING MEETINGS WITH THEIR OWN INDUSTRIAL

HYGENIST AND FORMING THEIR OWN PLAN OF ACTION.

: " They say it's going to cost millions or dollars, okay,

so what. Close the school down and send the kids someplace else if

there's a health problem. His life is worth a million dollars to me. "

Kathy Fowler:

PARENTS WANT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HIRE AN OUTSIDE CLEANING SERVICE

THAT SPECIALIZES IN MOLD REMEDIATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

MONTGOMERY SCHOOL OFFICIALS HAVE ORDERED A SECOND AIR QUALITY TEST

AND THEY SAY ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY RESULTS, THERE HAVE BEEN

SERIOUS IMPROVEMENTS...

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The Associated Press may have contributed to this report.

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