Princeton teacher says mold in classroom made her ill

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Princeton teacher says mold in classroom made her ill

Community Press - Florence,KY,

BY ANDREA REEVES

http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20070313/NEWS01/703130313

SHARONVILLE - A " strong musty smell and lack of air circulation "

prompted Heritage Hill kindergarten teacher Joan Trowel to call

Princeton City School District environmental services in September.

Trowel told the Princeton City School District Board of Education

March 12 that she had to have three fans running in her basement

classroom at the E. Lucas Intermediate School Campus (RELIS),

where Heritage Hill school is currently located, to clear the air.

At the same time, she was becoming ill with severe headaches,

fatigue, sore throat and respiratory problems.

Doctors concluded that her symptoms and asthma were directly caused

by exposure to mold found in her classroom, Trowel said.

She said her doctors recommended she not work in the building

anymore.

She was placed on temporary assignment at Lincoln Heights

Elementary, and in early January, she was told there were no half-

time positions available.

" The school district has refused to accept responsibility and

address the situation. For me personally, this has meant being put

on leave without pay and without school district medical benefits

for the past two months, " she said.

" For the students and staff at RELIS this means continuing exposure

to an environment that may cause respiratory problems. "

But district Business Manager Craig Hatfield said there's not a

significant mold problem in the classroom.

" After I was notified I had an industrial hygienist perform air

sampling, " he said.

After two different tests, it was concluded that particulate levels

were equal to or less than levels of outside air, he said.

Along with the tests, Hatfield said he made sure all the high-

efficiency particulate filters were changed in the school and in

vacuum cleaners.

" She was offered multiple positions in the district at her salary

and she turned them down. She wanted a half-day kindergarten

position, " said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Tom

Moffitt.

In addition, Moffitt said the district bore the cost of Trowel

teaching at Lincoln Heights for a few months after the problem

surfaced.

" We didn't need her there, but we put her there while we

investigated the problem, " he said.

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