SHARONVILLE — Angry parents took their complaints face-to-face to Princeton school district officials Tuesday, claiming their children were sickened by classroom mold they say was ignored by school officials for almost a year.

        Princeton Superintendent Dennis Peterson and other district officials met with a dozen parents at Robert E. Lucas Intermediate School, and reiterated their stance that the Sharonville school is safe from toxic mold.

Linda Arnett (right) and Sue Clepper, whose sons go to Lucas Intermediate School, at a meeting Tuesday with school officials. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        But Lucas parent Sue Clepper said her son has suffered chronic skin inflammations, including periodic head-to-toe rashes, bouts of severe itching and bright red skin blotches, after spending time in a classroom that contained water-damaged carpet for 11 months.

        “They didn't tell me anything about the carpet being damaged. My son has never been sick until he attended this school,” Ms. Clepper angrily told Lucas Principal Dianne Ebbs and Mr. Peterson.

        Last week the Enquirer reported that Princeton officials knew during spring 2000 of possible mold problems from damaged carpet in a small Lucas classroom.

        But despite recommendations from an indoor environmental expert and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), district officials delayed for almost a year the carpeting's removal, done last month.

        In the months before the carpet removal, some Lucas teachers and students who used the small classroom said they suffered symptoms consistent with exposure to airborne mold toxins, including headaches, shortness of breath, burning eyes, sinus and respiratory infections, rashes, severe itching and fatigue.

        Lucas parent Carolyn Smiley-Robertson said she was shocked to learn last week that moldy carpeting might be behind her child's chronic and severe sinus infections.

        “I was very upset when I recently found out about the mold. I could have provided better input to my doctor,” said Ms. Smiley. “I would hope that the district would have followed recommendations that were made by people with expertise in this.”

        But Ms. Ebbs disputed some parental complaints that she has been unresponsive to health concerns and not forthcoming.

        “There was nothing that I was aware of that needed to be expressed to parents at the time,” Ms. Ebbs told them.

        Lucas parent Linda Arnett bristled after the meeting at what she described as the arrogance of district and school officials.

        “It's very devastating. They don't want to talk about it. It's like a joke to them,” said Ms. Arnett, who said her son has been chronically sick with severe rashes since spending time in the now closed Lucas classroom.

        Though diagnosing mold illness is complicated, parents said that in most cases their child's symptoms lessened or disappeared during prolonged absence from the school. Mr. Peterson said the district has conducted another round of air-quality tests, and results should be available next week.

        But Gary Bryson, a school board member who attended the meeting, said he and other board members are concerned about why recommendations to remove the carpet were not followed for nearly a year.

        “Obviously there are accountability issues we have to look into,” said Mr. Bryson.

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