Teacher Tested Positive for Asbestos

May 23 , 2006 - Parents in Saugus, Massachusetts are concerned about the diagnosis of an elementary school teacher, who recently tested positive for asbestos exposure.  According to reports released by WCVB-TV Boston, a teacher at Lynhurst Elementary School is the first to be sickened by the material, found in the school’s old floor tiles.

Though the floor tiles were covered with a non-asbestos-containing material about 8 years ago, parents note that the newer tile is also cracking and students are being exposed to dust from the original flooring.  That causes them to worry about the everyday safety of their children and just how many asbestos particles they may be inhaling each time they step into a classroom with damaged tiles.

"Our fear now is that it's an unhealthy, unsafe place for our children to go on a daily basis, five days a week, six hours a day. Teachers have asked for tennis balls for the bottom of their chairs so that they don't crack tiles," parent Paul Arnold said.

However, school district and local officials maintain that the school is safe for both students and faculty/staff. 

"Air quality tests in the school have proven negative. In the past, most recently in 2005, and in the last several months, we've completed air quality tests for mold and other airborne bacteria and those tests also proved negative," town manager Andrew Bisignani said.

Others aren’t so sure. Lynhurst teachers note that many colleagues and students at their school – as well as at other older Saugus schools – are consistently complaining about symptoms that may be related to asbestos inhalation, including severe sinus infections, pneumonia, and difficulty breathing.