Mold lawsuit ends after six years

September 6, 2007

Kane County Chronicle - Geneva,IL*

By KATE THAYER - kthayer@...

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ST. CHARLES – Years after students and teachers complained of health

problems from mold in St. East High School, the district has

settled the legal battle, long after remedying the problem.

Last week, Circuit Judge Colwell dismissed the case, and a

settlement is in the works between the St. school district

and former students and teachers, according to court records.

Superintendent Don Schlomann said the district's insurance company

would pay a total of less than $100,000 to six defendants for health

problems that they incurred while attending St. East High

School.

The district spent more than $29 million to rehab the school and rid

it of mold problems, school officials said.

The personal-injury lawsuits originally were filed in 2001 after

tests revealed high levels of mold and mold spores in the walls of

several classrooms at the school. Students, teachers and staff

complained of illness because of the mold levels, which gained

national news media attention.

Since then, the number of defendants dwindled and the lawsuits were

condensed into one. Colwell dismissed the case Aug. 31.

Craig Mielke, an attorney for the plaintiffs, declined comment

Wednesday.

" I think for the most part the community has already moved on, "

Schlomann said. " This is a chance for us to move on in the legal

system. "

Schlomann added that the issue prompted better school policies.

" Some good things came out of this whole process, " he said,

referring to air-quality procedures in the district, such as how

officials respond and who is contacted.

" We are very specific about who we notify, who we deal with in

issues of air quality, " he said. " Those policies are unique to St.

and much more preventative than most districts. "

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