Asbestos Concerns at Patchogue, NY Area School District

On May 26, 2009, officials for a school district in Patchogue, NY met with parents and concerned citizens regarding asbestos removal at the district’s elementary school.

The asbestos controversy began after the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) cited the district for illegal asbestos removal. Asbestos-containing floor tiles were removed from a classroom by workers that were later found to have not been certified to perform asbestos abatement.

Approximately 200 students were absent from school after the Memorial Day weekend because of asbestos exposure concerns, prompting the meeting. Both the school district’s board and environmental consultants spoke in order to answer questions, and assured those in attendance that additional testing would take place to assure that students and faculty are not at risk for additional exposure.

Asbestos-containing materials were routinely used in the construction of school buildings until the late 1960s. Since many teachers spend their entire careers working for a single school district (and sometimes, in the same building or classroom), school teachers are second only to blue-collar trades in terms of the percentage of workers who develop asbestos disease. Asbestos has a decades-long latency period between exposure and when symptoms of disease are present, meaning teachers who began their careers in their 20s may not experience symptoms until they are close to retirement age.

Even short-term exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious lung illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or asbestosis.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, contact our lawyers today for a free review of your case. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.