Judge gets progress report on school mold

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Judge gets progress report on school mold

Mold at Westview High School has prompted two lawsuits by

parents

The Sun, TN*

By STANLEY DUNLAP

sdunlap@...

• May 13, 2008

http://jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20080513/NEWS01/805130311

DRESDEN - A progress report was given to a circuit court judge on

Monday concerning the steps that have been taken to solve the mold

problem at Westview High School. The school is at the center

of a controversy that has prompted two lawsuits by concerned parents.

Weakley County Circuit Court Judge Acree will hear more

expert testimony when the hearing continues at 9 a.m. today.

The attorneys representing the Weakley County School Board and the

plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the board have agreed to have a

specialist examine the high school after the temporary work is

finished.

" Our understanding today is that the full inspection of the school

has not been done yet, " said Memphis attorney Amber after

the hearing.

The mother of two Westview students, Carrol Hinman, filed the

lawsuit seeking an injunction to have the school closed until the

problem was remedied.

In February Judge Acree ordered immediate remediation be

done on some areas of Westview after testing showed evidence of mold

on pipes in different areas of the school.

said there is the potential for mold at Middle School

as well.

" We think that the same testing should be done at because of

the similarities between them, " said following the hearing.

The school district is halfway finished with the process of

replacing old insulation at Westview High School, Pannu, the

attorney representing the school board, said in court.

The new insulation that has been put around pipes is made with

Microban, which is used to deter mold. It contains the chemical

phenol which is among one of the top 20 indoor environmental

pollutants according to Air Quality Sciences.

Building consulting expert Kavanagh, of BioPure Consulting in

Atlanta, testified that he hadn't recommend the new insulation be

tested because " it's a widely used product in hospitals and

schools...

" I think generally the products are tested at the manufacturing

stage, " he said.

also represents and Joost, the parents of

former Westview student Caleb Joost.

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- Stanley Dunlap, 425-9668