School district suing over roof replacement

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School district suing over roof replacement

Students forced to relocate for a year

04/25/02

By LAVINIA DeCASTRO

The Express-Times

BETHLEHEM - The Bethlehem Area School District is suing three companies

involved with replacing Freemansburg Elementary School's roof.

The district is seeking $1.5 million from White Brothers of Reading,

Miorelli & Co. of Hazleton and Shippe Mechanical Inc. of Bristol, according

to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Northampton County Court.

According to the suit, the three companies are responsible for the water

leaks that allowed mold to grow throughout the school forcing Freemansburg

students to relocate for an entire year.

District officials began planning to replace portions of the school's roof

before June of 2000, when the old roof's warranty was due to expire, the

suit says.

The contract was awarded to White Brothers, the lowest bidder, and

construction began in the summer, the suit says. White Brothers, in turn,

hired Shippe to do plumbing and mechanical work and Miorelli for light

concrete work, the suit says.

Routine inspection showed the school's roof drain system was functioning

properly earlier that year, but their work " substantially affected the

integrity of the roof, roof drains and drainage system, " the suit alleges.

Shortly after the work was completed, rainwater accumulated on the roof,

leaked and infiltrated into the school, the suit says.

After an inspection, engineers hired by the district noted White Brothers

had left a portion of the roof unprotected from the elements, according to

the suit.

District officials demanded the company make the appropriate repairs, but on

July 17, rainwater once again accumulated on the roof, the suit alleges.

Engineers concluded the plugs White Brothers had installed were causing a

second infiltration, the suit says. A plug had also been removed and was not

connected to the storm piping system, causing a third infiltration July 19,

according to the suit.

District employees who inspected the building found discoloration on the

walls, the suit says.

They later discovered the discoloration was caused by mold within the walls,

which had spread to the roof deck, ceiling tiles, cabinets, books and school

supplies, the suit alleges.

Superintendent Doluisio said on several occasions all district

schools had been tested twice for mold the previous year and had received a

clean bill of health.

Officials from White Brothers admitted liability and tried to clean up the

mold after the district contacted them Aug. 8, the suit says.

After officials found the school had small quantities of the potentially

lethal stachybotrys chartarum mold variety, the 350 Freemansburg students

had to trade their classrooms at the 501 Monroe St. school for Bethlehem

Steel Corp.'s former headquarters in South Bethlehem.

The students began and finished the school year at the makeshift school on

701 E. Third St., dubbed Freemansburg South.

Steel has not charged the district for the use of the company's building,

but the district had to foot the bill to make the structure operational. The

eventual cleanup cost about $1.3 million, former Director of Administrative

Services Dominic Villani said in September.