"...indoor mold exposures were associated with neurobehavioral and pulmonary impairments that likely resulted from the presence of mycotoxins, such as trichothecenes." (Dr. Kaye Kilburn M.D., Ralph Edgington Professor of Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, Environmental Sciences Laboratory (ret))
North Haven, CT: North Haven High School air is "fine"
So, why is Anthony Hannon, a senior, well, now that he changed schools? Why weren't the parents allowed to view the testing at the school? Why are school officials playing "defense"? We think that Mr. and Mrs. Hannon, and Anthony, along with any other doubting community members, should visit The Center for School Mold Help website and read District Testing.
More helpful information is found on our Getting Help: Parents pages. It is obvious that their suspicions may be very well-founded, for this is the stance of a school district afraid of lawsuits and worker's comp claims based on unhealthy conditions in their schools.
Read these two articles and watch the video, read the comments (which sound as if shills are writing some of them). (SMH)
Report: North Haven school air is fine
Published: Tuesday, May 04, 2010
By Ann DeMatteo
Special to the (CT) Post-Chronicle
NORTH HAVEN — The air in North Haven High School is clear, according to a report commissioned by school officials after more than a year of complaining by the parents of a youth who said he couldn’t breathe in the school.
While officials said the school is fine, parent Terry Hannon still isn’t so sure. Anthony Hannon, who is a senior, has been unable to take classes at North Haven High because of asthma attacks. He transferred to Branford High School in January and is now off allergy medications, according to his mother.
Terry and Richard Hannon had asked for the air to be tested, but it wasn’t until earlier this month that Superintendent of Schools Sara-Jane R. Querfeld agreed to do so, after she said the Hannons were more specific about molds to which Anthony is allergic.
The Quinnipiack Valley Health District had inspected the school in the past and had not recommended testing. But Querfeld said that once the “trigger” was determined, she decided to do the testing.
“The results were unremarkable. Looking over them, it doesn’t indicate anything further needs to be done, and it supports our findings from visual inspections that there are no indications that a situation would cause mold growth,” Executive Director Leslie Balch said.
A technician from Mystic Air Quality Consultants Inc. of Groton tested air inside and outside the Elm Street school April 15. A report given to school officials last week says testing of ambient air showed it was within applicable standards. Mystic Air also tested for fungal spores and molds, and there were fewer spore counts inside than outside, the report said.
The school system will pay about $1,200 for the test.
The report said there was no sign of “visible microbial growth or significant water damage” in samples that were taken in various parts of the building.
A small amount of water staining was found in the entrance corridor to the library. Mystic Air recommended that the carpet inside the entrance be replaced with tile to “drastically reduce the potential for fungal growth.”
At a school board meeting earlier this month, the Hannons had asked to be present during the testing, but they were not contacted, Terry Hannon said. School Business Manager Ed Gomeau said having members of the public on site when a technician is working is not “normal procedure.”
“I still feel something was hidden and something isn’t right. Why couldn’t I be there?” Terry Hannon said. “I still have questions. I want to know why my son can’t breathe in that school.”
NORTH HAVEN — Criticize the school board all you want, but when you do, don’t expect a response from the floor.
That’s the upshot of a newly reconstituted Board of Education public participation policy that raised a few eyebrows when it was introduced in February.
Board attorney Thomas Mooney recently clarified meeting procedures for the board. Mooney said that all speakers have the right to be heard within the time limits allowed by the board, as long as they’re not vulgar, hostile or aggressive. The comments have to be limited to school district business.
But, he warned against the board getting into a question-and-answer-session with the public because it could pose a problem with the Freedom of Information Act if the topic that is brought up is not on the agenda, or it involves a staff member who isn’t there to defend himself. “You listen, and if it’s a matter of concern, it goes on an agenda” in the future, Mooney said.
Superintendent of Schools Sara-Jane R. Querfeld asked how the board could balance the right of a person to speak with the rights of the person being discussed.
The person being discussed would have the right to an open or closed hearing, and anyone lodging a complaint against a staff member would have to take the complaint to the person’s supervisor first, rather than the board, Mooney said.
He also said that questions the public may want answered should be answered, but after the meeting is over.
During public comment, resident Gary Amato said it appeared as if the board had “closed up the schools. It’s a sad day for the town of North Haven.”
Resident Terry Hannon said she agreed with Amato. “You expect people to come to the meetings, but they can’t talk about anything,” she said.
Querfeld clarified that residents can tell the board whatever they want. “That’s not changed. We just can’t answer any questions about things that are not on the agenda or not properly noticed.”
The board’s public participation policy was distributed at the February meeting. Board Chairwoman Sandra Cummings at the time said there was nothing new about the policy, just that it was in writing. She had been working on it since December, when she took over as chairwoman.
The policy says that people can have up to three minutes to address concerns that directly relate to the school district. The policy also says that people with personnel complaints should speak with the superintendent as “a means of bringing concerns for consideration and disposition,” and that public comment is not a question-and-answer-session. The board had engaged in questions and answers with the public in the recent past.
Cummings also said the policy had nothing to do with the fact that in the January meeting, Querfeld and Assistant Superintendent Patricia K. Brozek were criticized for how they were handling the complaint of Richard and Terry Hannon whose son, Anthony, has had severe asthma attacks when he is in North Haven High School; he is now attending Branford High School and is off his allergy medications. He is allergic to mold. The Hannons have been asking that the high school air be tested, and even offered to pay. Anthony Hannon accused Querfeld and Brozek of sweeping the matter under the rug and called for their resignations.
On Thursday night, the Hannons said that they met with Querfeld and Brozek about a grade Anthony had gotten when he was being tutored in North Haven. Air quality issues came up and Querfeld agreed to test the air at the high school. Querfeld said that she can proceed with testing because in the meeting, the Hannons discussed a “trigger” that an environmental service can test for. Previously, “we didn’t know what to look for.”
Contact Ann DeMatteo at 203-789-5716.
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of nhregister.com.
WTO wrote on Apr 13, 2010 6:31 AM:
" It's about time North Haven got some order in place that makes sense and is civil.
The town side should do the same. The Public officials should bite the bullet and do the same. It is out of control! "
Mister Jones wrote on Apr 13, 2010 8:54 AM:
" This is pretty basic FOIA stuff. The Board is just following the law. "
DMLogan wrote on Apr 13, 2010 8:56 AM:
" While dissent is the highest form of patriotism, all comments made at both town and school meetings should be factual, civil and respectful. There have been too many instances of remarks being made that have been insulting, demeaning and unnecessarily hurtful.
I ask all North Haven leaders to encourage public discourse that is polite and civil and quickly stop residents if they are resorting to name calling and rudeness. Any resident that is not being civil can be redirected to rephrase their comments in an appropriate tone and manner. "
Nice wrote on Apr 13, 2010 5:15 PM:
" The above comment from the leader of a group based on Color!
Try and have a White Citizens group dinner posted in the paper and see how that goes over. Way to bring the people together.. By breaking them into "groups" as if we are not all equal! "
G. Amado wrote on Apr 14, 2010 11:38 AM:
" I make all of the BOE meetings. I am concerned about the schools even though I have no children. Also I never attended classes myself, can't ya tell? "
TAXPAYER wrote on Apr 14, 2010 5:47 PM:
" Asking for resignations? You must be joking!!!! Both of them should retire, and do the whole town a favor. These hot shot EDUCTIONAL management types don't get it, and never will....... "
Horace wrote on Apr 15, 2010 11:07 AM:
" Now they will study air quality? Asleep at the wheel and overpaid for it as well "
SchoolMoldHelp wrote on May 5, 2010 10:29 AM:
" These parents appear to be getting the runaround. The school district obviously is using the typical tactic, orchestrated by its legal team, of not being forthright about the school mold complaint. In fact, a training of our nation's school attorneys in 2005 by the National School Board Association shockingly did not support parents who make school mold claims, but taught the attorneys to defend the school district as if they were under attack when the complaints are made - and that the complaints are not legitimate, etc. Visit www.schoolmoldhelp.org to learn about why district testing isn't reliable and more about mold and your child's health. The World Health Organization has announced, in 2009, that indoor dampness is strongly associated with the development of new cases of asthma, and many other serious and chronic health problems. The CDC has now changed its stance on indoor dampness and mold, visit www.cdc.gov/mold for more info. The Hannons are correct in bringing this problem to the public's attention and we invite them to learn more and keep going till justice is served and the children left behind in that school are protected. "
WTO wrote on Apr 13, 2010 6:31 AM:
The town side should do the same. The Public officials should bite the bullet and do the same. It is out of control! "