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Polk County Schools suspends school administrator due to mold complaints
Polk County Schools, FL, Administrator Suspended Over Moldy School Complaints
Published Thursday, April 20, 2006
Mold Protection Proper
I would like to commend the Polk County School Board, the superintendent of schools and Dr. Dennis Higgins,
Director of Alternative Education, for their wisdom in taking the precaution of pulling the teachers from the Polk
Juvenile Correctional Facility because of the toxic mold found on the site that was making the occupants ill.
As the Founder and Director of The Center for School Mold Help, I remain very concerned that there are children and
correctional staff still in this facility, undoubtedly exposed to these toxins, which cause a multitude of illnesses,
including neurological -- impacting the brain and nervous system.
Mold toxins inflame the brain and can cause behavioral and other symptoms, in addition to the inflammation caused
throughout the body.
Thus, one would expect more out-ofcontrol behavior in a moldy environment. In addition, the impact of mold on the
respiratory and immune system can produce irreversible cellular damage and profound -- sometimes, deadly, illness.
Some of the mold, such as stachybotrys, reportedly found in this facility, produces toxins used in chemical warfare,
they are so potent.
I strongly urge that anyone concerned about this issue visit our Web site, www.schoolmoldhelp.org, and visit our FAQ
and Research pages to learn more. Our Remediation page provides educational information about protecting the
occupants.
I encourage the state of Florida to protect the juveniles under their care by providing them with a healthy facility that
will not damage their chance of rehabilitation and worsen their status..
SUSAN BRINCHMAN
Founder and Executive Director
The Center for School Mold Help
La Mesa, CA
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Information from: The Ledger, http://www.theledger.com
Published Thursday, April 20, 2006
Administrator at moldy juvenile detention center suspended
Associated Press
LAKELAND, Fla. - The district administrator who removed teachers from a Polk County juvenile detention center
because of mold problems has been placed on a weeklong suspension.
Dennis Higgins, the district's director of alternative education, was placed on administrative leave last Friday after he
aggressively pressed the state Department of Juvenile Justice to fix the problems at the Polk Juvenile Correctional
Facility.
Higgins said his suspension is "absolutely a political move," because it brought more attention to department, which
has been under heavy scrutiny for two inmate deaths and a rape at other detention centers in the state.
David Lauer, assistant superintendent of human resource services for Polk schools, confirmed that Higgins has been
suspended. He said Higgins' suspension is not political retribution and has nothing to do with the principal's recent
comments on the health conditions at a school at the detention center.
Higgins pulled district teachers out of the school last month after nearly half the district staff reported health problems
linked to the moldy air. Two independent air quality reports confirmed substantial mold in the buildings.
Higgins asked officials that inmates still held at the facility be reviewed by an independent medical team and that
their parents be notified.
The juvenile justice department committed to a $5 million renovation of the facility, pending legislative funding. The
agency sent parental notification and invited the Polk County Health Department to interview teachers and students
last week, a spokeswoman said.
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Information from: The Ledger, http://www.theledger.com
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Official in Mold Alert Suspended
By Andrew Dunn & Julia Crouse
The Ledger
Lakeland -- The district administrator who pulled teachers out of a Polk County juvenile detention center because of
mold concerns has been placed on a weeklong suspension.
Polk Superintendent Gail McKinzie put Dennis Higgins, the district's director of alternative education, on
administrative leave after he aggressively pressed the state Department of Juvenile Justice to correct environmental
conditions at the Polk Juvenile Correctional Facility.
The district maintains Higgins' suspension is not retribution for his involvement with Sabal Palm, the alternative
school at PJCF.
But Higgins said that his suspension is "absolutely a political move," because it brought more attention to DJJ, which
has been under heavy scrutiny for two inmate deaths and a rape at other detention centers in the state.
Higgins pulled district teachers out of Sabal Palm on March 3 after nearly half the district staff reported health
problems because of mold in the air.
Two independent air quality reports confirmed substantial mold in the buildings.
Since then, Higgins has sent numerous e-mails and has called several DJJ and Department of Education officials to
ask that inmates at PJCF be reviewed by an independent medical team and that their parents be notified.
DJJ committed to a $5 million renovation of the facility, pending legislative funding. Last week, a spokeswoman said
the agency sent parental notification and invited the Polk County Health Department to interview teachers, PJCF staff
and students.
Higgins thinks his suspension is a result of pressure by state officials.
When McKinzie suspended Higgins on Friday, she said he didn't use the proper procedure to resolve the situation at
Sabal Palm and had become an obstacle to its resolution, Higgins said.
David Lauer, assistant superintendent of human resource services for Polk schools, confirmed that Higgins has been
suspended.
"Dennis is on . . . administrative leave with pay this week," he said.
As a senior director, Higgins is paid about $86,000 per year.
Lauer said he could not comment on Higgins' case, specifically. However, he did say his suspension is what's best for
everyone involved.
He said districts can place people on administrative leave at their discretion.
He said Higgins' suspension is not political retribution and has nothing to do with the principal's recent comments on
the health conditions at Sabal Palm.
"Everybody wants the situation at Sabal Palm to be resolved," he said. "Those kids need to be in school."
Higgins said he's been told not to continue his involvement with PJCF when he returns to work Monday.
Higgins said he's done all he can and doesn't plan to aggravate the situation further. He plans to retire next year and
take a long leave of absence for health reasons in the summer.
Higgins said he's contacted legal representation and has considered leaving the district sooner than planned.
"I have no regrets about any of the actions I've taken," he said. "I think they want me to go away and, frankly, I'm
willing to go away."
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A Letter to the Editor
Re: The Suspension of Principal Dennis Higgins Over Mold Complaints
As Director of The Center for School Mold Help, it is with disgust that I read about the suspension of Principal Dennis
Higgins, an exceptional school administrator in Lakeland, who has shown concern for students and staff in moldy,
dangerous facilities. Parents and the community should take a close look at a school board, superintendent, and
state officials, who would condone such a suspension. It makes one ask, how safe are the rest of the students and
staff in this school district, and in the rest of the state, if people are punished for standing up for safety?
FOR SHAME, POLK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT! It is my hope that all organizations and individuals who value free
speech and the right to healthy environments stand up, elect representatives and school board members with those
same views, and find superintendents who support this. If the juveniles in custody are in jeopardy, you and your
children are not far behind. Mr. Higgins deserves your respect and support. He is trying to save lives and health.
Please visit www.schoolmoldhelp.org to read about the deadly dangers of moldy school environments, supporting
Mr. Higgins, and healthy schools and juvenile facilities.
Sincerely,
Susan Brinchman
Founder and Executive Director,
The Center for School Mold Help
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Young offenders in Polk may see teachers soon
A mold problem led Sabal Palm School to close, but classes could resume Monday.
By Amy L. Edwards
April 22, 2006
POLK CITY -- It's been more than six weeks since Sabal Palm School closed its doors at the Polk Juvenile
Correctional Facility because of mold that prompted more than half of the teachers to file workers-compensation
claims.
The 200 teens sentenced to the facility have been getting by with a makeshift education provided by a handful of
school-district employees and correctional staff.
"Is it ideal? No," said Kerry L. Knott, vice president of operations for G4S Youth Services, the company contracted by
the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to run the facility.
"We're all about getting back to that day," Knott said of when the teens will be back in class, which is expected to be
Monday.
Sabal Palm's teachers -- as well as Dennis Higgins, the school district's senior director of alternative education and a
critic of the DJJ who was placed on a week of administrative leave April 17 -- are expected to return to work Monday.
Teachers will hold class in the common areas of the dorms, not in the school building, for the offenders, who are
mostly ages 14 to 18 and range from middle- to high-school level.
Several of the juveniles, sentenced from throughout the state, said they are ready to get back to class. Their
identities are not public record.
"It went by faster with school," said M.G., a 19-year-old from Miami. "Without school, I feel like I'm not learning."
The makeshift classrooms in the dorms will have to do for at least two more weeks -- until Sabal Palm relocates to
portables that are being installed on the campus in Polk City.
The Polk County School District pulled out of Sabal Palm on March 3 after 19 of 33 teachers filed
workers-compensation claims related to mold found inside the school building. Teachers complained of symptoms
such as coughing and itchy eyes.
Subsequently, eight of 129 facility employees filed workers-comp claims; two specifically attributed their illnesses to
the mold.
Before that, in March, the department's chief medical director interviewed four juveniles and a "significant" number
of employees to determine whether there was an increase in complaints that could be attributed to the mold, DJJ
spokeswoman Cynthia Lorenzo said. None was reported at that time, she said.
The Florida Department of Health recently stepped in to review the environmental inspections and evaluate random
teens and employees.
"The main thing we are trying to do with this is make sure everyone has a chance to respond in a confidential
manner," said Wesley Nall, environmental supervisor with the Health Department.
Mold can trigger asthma attacks, sore throats and itchy eyes.
Most of the symptoms subside when a person leaves a beleaguered area, but in some severe cases, mold can cause
permanent effects, Nall said.
This isn't the first time mold has been a problem at the Polk Juvenile Correctional Facility, formerly known as the
Polk Youth Development Center, the state's largest juvenile-correctional facility for high-risk teens.
The facility has a history of leaky roofs, poor plumbing in the restrooms and air units that don't keep rooms at
consistent temperatures.
The mold most recently spotted was prevalent in Sabal Palm's building, and lesser degrees of mold were found in
other buildings.
Staff removed ceiling tiles that sustained water damage from leaky roofs. But the major problems, Knott said, are not
the responsibility of G4S to fix.
"If it is routine and regular, we would be responsible," he said.
Today's problems, Knott said, are "beyond just putting a Band-Aid on the system."
The DJJ funded repairs to the roof, ceiling and air systems in 2005, the department reported. Additional roof-vent
repairs were made this month.
"The long-term fix is probably going to be in the millions," Knott said.
Lorenzo said DJJ asked the Legislature for $5 million to make improvements at the facility, but that request has not
yet been granted.
In the meantime, the agency maintains the buildings are safe.
Since March 3, the state has admitted 28 teens to the facility, who normally serve nine- to 12-month sentences.
As the teens and teachers head back to class Monday, Higgins, the school-district administrator who oversees the
program at Sabal Palm, will be free to return to work.
Higgins said he thinks Superintendent Gail McKinzie placed him on a one-week leave for "political" reasons.
"The superintendent told me she had had some angry calls from Tallahassee . . . she felt as if I had been acting
independently and she hadn't been aware," Higgins said.
Higgins sent numerous e-mails to state officials calling for independent medical evaluations of the teens and
questioned what the Department of Juvenile Justice planned to do about the problems, including notifying the
parents.
"She didn't feel the e-mails were appropriate," Higgins said of McKinzie.
But McKinzie, who said she was not copied on e-mails, said the decision to place him on leave was not due to
political pressure.
"It was a compilation of numerous issues," McKinzie said.
"There is an expectation certainly that we have of all of our administrators, and that is . . . directives are followed
and organizationally people operate . . . within that scope of responsibility."
Despite being placed on leave, Higgins, who has been with Polk schools since 1990, said he doesn't think he did
anything wrong and achieved some successes.
"The e-mails that I write are direct; they are honest," he said.
"DJJ has demonstrated over and over that they must be monitored and addressed, and that's what I was doing."
Amy L. Edwards can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 863-422-3395.
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