I am a teacher in a large, urban, western USA school district, San Diego City Schools , or as it is known at the state level, San Diego Unified School district, where I have worked for most of the past 26 years. I had good health until I went to work at Sherman Elementary School , in a high poverty, central, downtown area, where up to 1,000 students attended. At Sherman, the air conditioner/heating system had many complaints -- it was very dirty, animals (rats) died in it, the air coming out in some rooms smelled like mold or dead animals, at times, and the air was stagnant in some rooms. Further, on top of the school's flat roof was an enormous flock of hundreds of huge pigeons, which dined on the student lunch droppings daily, fluttering all over the lunch tables to get scraps. They roosted by the air intake of the HVAC system - thus their dung had to be thick up there. Note: this is an additional health hazard . This school was enclosed, with no windows, I might add. The temperature varied, from too hot to too cold (my room was 48 degrees for three months and I had to purchase ski type clothing to keep warm). Above the ceiling tiles, which was part of a drop ceiling, there was a black layer of particles that was 1/2 inch deep, and these particles would actually drift in the air, in some rooms. Some work was done on the HVAC system and ceilings, while the students and staff were in the building, which undoubtedly gave us further exposure. Since 1998, the staff had complained, as a survey showed that over 40 were ill with respiratory and sinus conditions that they had not had till coming to work at Sherman. An administrator was eventually diagnosed with emphysema, though he never had smoked, and his office air conditioning unit was found to have a soup of bacteria near the air intake, which was cleaned. One day, when I had been at the school for just a few months, the principal tried to tell me how ill he was and couldn't speak from coughing and breathlessness. I noticed that the vents for the air conditioning and heating system had thick, globular looking strings of dirt hanging from them, in the teachers' lounge, right above the refrigerator and microwave, where food was prepared. I noticed other vents were filthy. No one would clean the one in the lounge, till I complained for many months.

No one told me about the staff complaints about the building HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and AC System) till long after I became ill, a year after arriving at Sherman, with severe respiratory problems, that have never entirely cleared up. I also developed problems with multiple chemical sensitivities, though I didn't recognize it as such, and memory problems. The very first year, I experienced irritable bowel -- a very painful and new experience for me, that, looking back on all this, was probably also related to the ongoing toxic exposure that was happening at the school. In the third year that I was at the school, I found out about the survey and the ill staff. I filed a Worker's Comp claim due to my respiratory problems that needed medical attention, and the absences it caused -- but the district has denied it. The district hired an environmental company who did a limited inspection and pronounced the air quality "healthy". I tried wearing a face mask, which did improve my symptoms, somewhat, and I moved into an exterior room, but still had meetings and daily activities to conduct in the main building.

Filthy filter at air intake of Sherman Elementary HVAC system, on roof.

Wet carpet at Sherman Elementary main building, hallway, after rainstorm and bricks showing evidence of water intrusion.

Standing water on Sherman Elementary Roof after rainstorm, by HVAC intake - also the place where hundreds of pigeons roost waiting for children to be eating in lunch arbor, below.

Bricks above Sherman Elementary School's wet interior hallway carpet (at bottom of photo) showing water intrusion following rainstorm.

Organic growth of algae-like material on roof of Sherman Elementary right by the broken, open, HVAC ductwork - at right.

Broken pipe (drain) on top of Sherman roof, with garbage in it.

Much of this Sherman Elementary School ductwork had been repaired over the years multiple times but was open to the elements at places, had standing water on it that leaked inside, etc. Some areas had duct tape that was wet and not sealing the openings.

I left the school four months after I found out that the building was the probable culprit for my mysterious upper and lower respiratory symptoms. For one year, I felt I was slowly improving. Changing to a different school temporarily, till I could obtain a Special Ed position similar to the one I had held at Sherman, I went to Hawthorne Elementary,  (also in San Diego City Schools), in August, 2003. At Hawthorne, excessive mold was found by professional testing, in a room (counseling office) that I felt was making me feel like I had at Sherman. I also was becoming ill in the Hawthorne Resource Room (Cafeteria Building) where I observed many children and other staff to have respiratory symptoms. Upon my own investigation, following EPA recommendations, I located a possible source of the problem - a poorly ventilated old steam dishwasher on the wall behind the Resource Room, one that floods often, I was told. Also, the cafeteria workers told me of respiratory problems they have in that room. The Resource Room, which has a concrete block wall (porous) is also located next to the dumpsters and a foul drain that had about two or more inches of slime in it from washing the cafeteria trays off - without cleaning the food out of the drain. (pictured below)

The Hawthorne Resource Room, above, at right, with door open, and Cafeteria door at left, open, in same building. Cladosporium, in elevated amounts, was found in the Resource Room by private lab analysis of a sample sent out by the author. The district's contracted testing was done although the room had been completely aired out, thus invalidating the results.

Hawthorne Elementary Counseling Office, also in same building as Cafeteria and Resource Room, - green door at middle - tested positive for unhealthy amounts of mold on Oct. 8, 2003 - the Spore Trap test was made in the center of the room (even though the smell came from the closet), and the following results were obtained:

Counseling Office: Conference Rm. 2:

Penicillium /Aspergillus  types were at 1,520 spores/m3  Total spores: 2,066

Had the testing been done where the mold smell eminated from, it might have been much higher.

Some of the comparison testing for the outside air was done within 50 feet of the dumpster, which invalidates it, according to an mold inspector I asked. The Resource Room, pictured below, was tested even though door and windows had been open for two hours, invalidating those findings, according to the same mold inspector. Even so, the Resource Room Spore Trap test found it to have 946 Total Spores. What would it have been if the testing was done with a closed room?

According to a recent study by Bush & Portnoy, an unhealthy indoor environment is a volumetric mold contamination count greater than 1,000 spores/m3. *

*From  Mold In Schools by Dr. John Santilli, MD, Nov. 16, 2002,  Bridgeport, CT allergist , slide 19, http://www.moldallergy.com/presentation/Mold%20in%20Schools_files/frame.htm

More info from Dr. Santilli in his article: Fungal Contamination of Elementary Schools: A New Environmental Hazard : http://www.moldallergy.com/presentation/New_Envior_Hazard.pdf

According to ETA Laboratories,a clean building has less than 700 spores (cts/m3) In the counseling office alone, more than twice that number were found at Hawthorne. 

ETA Laboratories references for Penicillium/Aspergillus types, Possible Indoor Amplification at 1,000-5.000 spores (cts/m3)

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I did some of my own testing in that Resource Room, and the results were positive for excessive mold. The district had the Resource Room tested with the doors and windows open for several hours, even though that invalidated the test. Not surprisingly, the district test turned out negative for excessive amounts of mold. I have heard of other sites where district testing for air quality was conducted with doors and windows open for several hours, also - or where the heating and ventilating system has been off.

Thus far, I do not believe that teachers or parents have been told about the testing at Hawthorne Elementary. The testing was obtained by CALOSHA, during an investigation they made at the site, with difficulty - the district risk management told the principal to keep them off the grounds, according to the CALOSHA Hawthorne Elementary School investigation report of Nov., 2003, available in the San Diego County CALOSHA office.

I have become very ill again (second exposure for a sensitized person is worse, I have now learned). I have been unable to work since early November of this 2003. I feel like these exposures have stolen my good health and I won't be able to work as a teacher in the poorly maintained buildings of my very defensive and non-supportive school district. I worry about the children, very much, in these schools. I have no vehicle to inform parents. If I call them directly, or write them, I could be fired, as another teacher was, for misuse of student records. Most of the local media supports our district so much that I felt it was hopeless to try to get them to cover something this controversial (until KGTV, Channel 10, covered the topic of Mold at Sherman, after conducting an investigation ). I have been just trying to regain as much of my health (respiratory, sinus, and brain function) as I can, have sought medical help and have a firm diagnosis of the variety of conditions above as a result of exposure to molds and mycotoxins. This constellation of symptoms does not occur except for toxic exposures -- and the fact that so many coworkers were ill, combined with one positive mold report -- are the smoking gun that the doctor used.

What is needed are studies of people exposed to these conditions -- particularly in schools. The number of children with medical conditions in schools that are inspected acccording to EPA standards and found to have mold and bacteria in the ventilation systems would be documentable, compared to similar, control schools. I ask that someone out there conduct some studies -- our children should not have to suffer debilitating illness (and neither should teachers). At my district alone, the teachers' association has had reports from 10 percent of the schools that teachers/staff feel mold is causing them illness. We need studies and help in the area of prevention, diagnosing, and treatment. Prevention could occur right now -- if parents took the time to inspect, observe, and ensure that their children's school was safe and healthy. At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  Web site, there are materials to view if you search on school mold that could assist - one is their Mold Fact Sheet .

Additional Information That Might Benefit Others In Workplaces

I wish to emphasize that it is not always, merely, an allergic reaction one is experiencing, but damage being done to cells and organs of the body (see FAQ page on this site How Toxic Mold Acts On the Body ). Also, the immune system seems completely unable to tolerate the molds, once exposed and reacting to them. Therefore, taking medication for the symptoms won't do any good, if you continue to be exposed to an infestation or higher amount than you, personally, can tolerate. Even low levels may continue to bother you, so a remediated building may also not work for you. I have learned that: identifying the mold(s) is very helpful for your doctor, for documentation, and for you, personally. In my case, by studying air quality reports that supposedly gave my buildings a clean bill of health, I noted that the outdoor fungi was overrepresented indoors (cladosporium) and despite a clean bill of health by my employer's hired IAQ companies, the data showed this, according to their own tables, but ignored in the summaries. Looking up cladosporium , all my symptoms were present. Also, both schools had rooms I was in where aspergillus and penicillium were over-represented, yet there was no attention paid to this by the IAQ reports. Again, these molds cause the very symptoms I had then and now continue to suffer from (chronic sinusitis and shortness of breath from damage to small airways; neurological damage is present, too). The schools, upon inspection by staff (not hired IAQ consultants) show visible mold at Sherman, a broken and leaking series of roof ducts, a filthy HVAC system loaded with dust and dirt, evidence of leaks in the building and wet rugs after rain, all ignored by the IAQ company that worked for my employer, and the district maintenance department, for six years.

My point is, one must realize the political maneuverings of employers who wish to minimize the facts. I have found, through contact with other teachers, that calling NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)  in to inspect will provide the workers with a comprehensive inspection that will document the building problems, the molds involved, and the medical state of the workers. They can be called in by three workers agreeing to do so, or by the union. This is a branch of the CDC. OSHA has proven, in my state (CA) to be hopelessly unable to perform a good study, as they are without mold level standards for enforcement criteria and equipment to do air testing. The county health department can only go in at the request of the employer and the employer then owns their testing report, and the workers cannot obtain it, save through OSHA requesting it or through the NIOSH investigation. Lastly, there is NO AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE A SCHOOL BUILDING IN THE COUNTRY on behalf of children's health issues with molds. This is according to an Industrial Hygienist at the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. So, because data and mold information is so important for diagnosis and proving source of the illness, be certain, in a work setting, that the indoor air quality is tested comprehensively by a company who will present a full report, that you can obtain and check the data for (such as NIOSH). Staff who are experiencing sick building syndrome might consider filing for workman's compensation, with the help of an attorney and predesignating their own doctor, due to the battle that some employers and their insurance companies wage to minimize these cases. Getting the building tested while you are still there is key. But also, so is getting out of the building, so more damage doesn't continue to harm you. Money is not more important than health!

Local Politics, County Health Dept., Buildings, Re-Development and Mold

As an update on Sherman - the San Diego County Health Dept is currently doing an investigation of the building, with a report (that may be difficult to obtain) being produced in June, 2004. I spoke with the San Diego County Dept. of Environmental Health Industrial Hygienist, Suzy Shamsky, twice - I called her once and she called me the second time, to discuss what my concerns were about Sherman and what I had observed when there. She seemed genuinely interested at that point. I then emailed her, on April 1, 2004, about my wish to express my concerns regarding the (privately contracted by district) Aurora Hygiene Sherman Elementary School report of April, 2002 -the mold data - and wanted her FAX number.

She then wrote back to me, regarding this request, on 4/2/04:

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"Thanks for your email.

I did want to clarify my role in this indoor air quality investigation. The primary role of our group (the Occupational Health Program, Country of San Diego) is to provide occupational health consultation to the County of San Diego for County of San Diego employees (this includes indoor air quality as well as many other issues). We extend this service to other "governmental" type organizations who do not have their own industrial hygiene staff on a fee-for-service  basis (we get re-imbursed hour for hour for our time and associated lab costs). San Diego Unified School District has used our services for several years on various projects.

If you have any further question, I have been told that you should have your attorney contact the School District's attorney."

Suzy Shamsky,

Occupational Health Program,

Department of Environmental Health,

County of San Diego,

(858) 694-2130

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I wrote Ms. Shamsky, to clarify her statement,

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4/2/04

In a message dated 4/2/2004 9:00:20 AM Pacific Standard Time, Suzy.Shamsky@sdcounty.ca.gov writes:

<<If you have any further question, I have been told that you should have your attorney contact the School District's attorney.>>

"As a taxpayer and employee of Sherman who was sickened by the building you are investigating, who is offering you info you may need, I am offended and appalled by that statement. Furthermore, under labor laws, I am entitiled to ANY report about the safety conditions of buildings I have worked in, contrary to what the County DEH (Dept. of Envir. Health) has stated. OSHA has confirmed this.

I would assume that whoever told you this is eager to sweep the truth under the carpet - that will not be allowed to happen."

Susan Brinchman

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In fairness to Ms. Shamsky, who was very polite and wanted me to talk to her on the first two phone calls (she called me on the second one, prior to these emails), it is not her choice not to talk to me. She has been directed to tell me this, according to her own statements to me, and muzzled, so to speak, by her supervisor at the County Dept. of Health.

Money and Accountability

It is obvious to me that the school district (San Diego City Schools) contracts with the County Dept. of Health and pays them hourly for their services for special projects. In this case, I had initiated complaint with the union again, asked for more investigation (as more people were reported ill at Sherman and I found out about one teacher who had very serious complications from mold exposure there) this year (fall, 2003), and would not back off, till finally, the district hired the County Health Dept. to come in, in the spring, 2004. It is important to understand that these hourly contracts for extensive investigations are lucrative for the County Health Dept. It has been described to me by the County Health Dept. as a private, contractual agreement between the school district and county and that any report issued belongs to the school district - and will not be made available to the public (or people like me) by the County Health Dept. Thus, the direction to have my Workman's Comp atty. contact the district's attorney to ask about this report, when issued. One teacher at the school has been told he will receive the report.

I have been told that, at Kennedy Elementary School, another San Diego City School with many mold complaints, several years ago, this same scenario played out and it was only by great difficulty that the Health Dept.'s report was obtained by the sick employees' Worker's Compensation attorney. There were about 100 sick building syndrome employees at Kennedy, I am told, by one of the ill teachers from there who I maintain contact with regularly.

Thus we see that the San Diego County Dept. of Health is contracting with San Diego City Schools to conduct a privately run investigation and produce a school district-owned report - with money paid to the County Health Dept.(probably a significant sum) to do this work. California's financial status is such that this money would be greatly needed by the County Health Dept. and so would further projects be desirable.

Could there be a conflict of interest in the San Diego County Department of Health investigation of the buildings and in communications? An outcome that found San Diego City Schools liable for damages due to exposure of students and staff would be very problematic. Unless somehow the report was not available to the public and internally could be used, perhaps, to justify demolition of the school buildings, which overlook the new downtown ballpark on Sherman's very valuable downtown multi-acre (5?) property. In fact, half way through this health dept. investigation, the San Diego City Schools Board of Education, on the advice of the district personnel, and the requests of the parents and staff, voted, in early May, 2004, to have Sherman demolished and rebuilt. I wonder if a future decision might be ... not to rebuild, based on predictions of dropping student enrollment, and sale of the property? This valuable piece of property overlooks the San Diego Harbor and Petco Park (new major league ballpark). All that is needed are 4 votes on the school board to accomplish that - with Chamber of Commerce support for candidates, this is a possibility.

Citizens in San Diego need to be aware of the condition of the public schools that they send their children to. These are our future generations. We must send them to healthy schools. We must have school boards that ensure the buildings are healthy. Recently, I was told that at least one of the school board members in San Diego had never been told of the mold problems at Sherman. Do the school board members know?

I ask for San Diego citizens to monitor this process - the condition, health and safety of the San Diego schools, including Sherman, Kennedy and Hawthorne; and to bring out any investigation to the public eye, with all parts and reports made public and no limits placed on who may be talked with about the investigation. The methods used in the investigation must meet accepted industrial hygiene standards.

The most important lesson in all this is that the children and employees in public schools are not protected by any agency that represents them and has the authority to investigate and force changes.