Board Member Says District Is Ignoring Serious Mold Problems

Board Member Says District Is Ignoring Serious Mold Problems

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Story Published: Jun 8, 2005 at 3:28 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:58 AM PDT

By Liz Rocca

SEATTLE - A stunning accusation from a Seattle school board member Wednesday. She says the district is ignoring a serious mold problem in some schools.

And because of it, she says the district ought to pay the bills for kids who get sick.

Teacher Robert Femiano says mold beneath the classrooms at Arbor Heights Elementary is making children sick.

"Students leaving school early with headaches and respiratory types of things, chest congestion," he said.

For six months, Femiano says he begged the district to do something.

"We got the runaround and the runaround," he said.

Femiano says with nowhere else to turn, he filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industries. L & I is now investigating.

"I would say we apologize that the response was slow," said Patti Spencer with the Seattle School District. "It's totally unacceptable and every member of the staff, student and family deserves better."

The School District has now hired a consultant to analyze the Arbor Heights mold problem.

But parents and teachers say the district was just as slow tackling mold at Nathan Hale High School.

"The district has got to not just listen, and not just pay lip service and say that these things will be taken care of, but they have to be taken care of immediately," said School Board Director Sally Soriano.

Soriano is so outraged by the district's slow response, she now wants them to pay for the medical bills of the children that are getting sick.

"I think if they do not remediate these buildings, then they should pay for these health bills," she said.

Femiano says he's being transferred. Although the district denies it, he claims it's in retaliation for his whistle blowing.

"It's the only thing to do for children," he said.

But Femiano says he has no regrets if it helps the kids.

The school district found small amounts of mold at Washington Middle School, and Highpoint and Leschi Elementary.

The district says it has a comprehensive plan to fix all the mold problems.

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