Westview high school, TN

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Weakly Co. School Board Refuses To Discuss Mold MARTIN, Tenn. - Weakley

County school board members cite a pending lawsuit in refusing to discuss mold

at a high school in . via WTVF Nashville

Parent Requests Resignation Of Weakley County Director Of Schools

12/11/07

By SABRINA BATES

Chief Staff Writer

Another battle waged in the public arena last week saw a request for the

resignation of Weakley County Director of Schools Barber during the

school’s board regular monthly meeting Thursday evening. Board members saw a

packed house, which included Weakley County Sheriff’s deputies and a Dresden

police officer during the session.

On the agenda was a request to discuss the “mold issue” at Westview High School

by Carol Hinman. Hinman is the parent of a Westview senior as well as acting

spokesperson for a group of Weakley County parents who have kept the mold issues

within the area’s public schools a topic that demands answers.

Board members allowed Hinman five minutes to address the school board.

The Westview parent told the board she had her two children tested for mold and

toxicology reports showed her children had levels of toxic mold in their

bloodstream.

“My children are sick; other children are sick … We want remediation … and a

timeline,” Hinman stated.

“You are elected officials. We put you in those chairs; you work for us,” she

added.

Hinman went on request the resignation of Barber for his “lack of competence” in

handling the mold issue.

For the second time, school board members failed to respond directly instead

letting its lawyer address the mold issue. Instead, a Weakley County school

board attorney Chuck Cagle offered his take and reasons for the board’s lack of

discussion on the issue.

“We’ve had a lot of people go through these buildings … experts on both sides;

not one person has said it was unsafe for students. I have known some of these

board members for 20 years and I know they would never put students in an unsafe

building,” Cagle stated.

He added, “most of the time we have more mold on our clothes which we carry into

our homes; even hospitals have it.” While there is pending litigation against

the board of education for a former student’s apparent toxic exposure to mold,

Cagle cited that as a reason for the board’s failing to respond to other parents

concerned about their own children’s exposure to potential mold.

‘The people in litigation are the reason for the communication shutdown,” Cagle

said.

Cagle was asked after the meeting what it would take for the parents not

involved in the litigation to get answers or any type of action towards

clean-up.

The attorney said the board of education was not allowed to touch the current

condition at Westview.

Last month, Larry Parrish, attorney for the Joost family, said Weakley County

could remediate and clean the public school; the only request on their part was

that materials found with a “mold-like” substance be sealed and preserved for

use as evidence during a trial. The Joosts contend their son received toxic

levels of mold exposure while he was a student at Westview High School.

Dr. Lipsey, a toxicologist from Florida, later responded to Cagle’s

comments with regard to no one deeming the school unsafe for students. Lipsey

inspected the public school earlier this year and cited at least six toxic molds

that he discovered contained within the walls of Westview High School.

“I was allowed to inspect the Westview school building on Aug. 9, 2007, the day

after students started the new school year. I was followed by attorneys, the

principal, a school board member and other people that were not identified.

“I saw water dripping form the air vents in the cafeteria and I found very high

levels of the most toxic of all molds, Stachybotrys, at a level of 150,000 per

swab, in the cafeteria along with 1.9 million gram negative bacteria per swab.

Both are highly toxic, pathogenic groups known to produce mycotoxins and

endotoxins, which are even more toxic than the toxic molds and bacteria that

produce them.

“Stachybotrys mycotoxins, used in chemical warfare between mold species (and

developed, but never used by the US Army for germ warfare), are known to produce

damage to the immune system, the lungs and brain cells. I also found

Aspergillus, Fusarium, Chaetinuyn, Mucor and Alternaria, all known to be toxic

or produce mycotoxins,” Lipsey replied.

“I found 83 percent of samples had unsafe levels of mold and or bacteria with

the gym wall, the cafeteria and books in the library with the highest levels of

bacteria, in excess of 3.0 million molds or bacteria per swab.

“My sampling was to be post-remediation sampling after the school board had had

the building remediated. Therefore, the lab results show the school building was

not safe for students to occupy at that time,” Lipsey added.

Weakley County Public Safety Director Jamison Peevyhouse also conducted an

investigation of the school building. In a report offered to Weakley County

school board members, Peevyhouse cited areas within the school that housed

“mold-like” substances, as well as areas of condensation build-up.

In his report, Peevyhouse recommended repairing those areas with excess

moisture, suggestions the public safety director said would cost very little and

could be done in-house.

Hinman said after the meeting the group’s next course of action would be to

continue to bring awareness to the issue of mold within the county’s public

schools.

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