01/08/2008 - National Legal News

High levels of asbestos found in a classroom at a San Mateo elementary school have raised concerns over the health and safety of a teacher and her students who used the room.

Victoria DeLuca, speech therapist at Highlands Elementary School, filed a complaint with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health after testing concluded asbestos was present in her classroom.

She first discovered the substance on a ceiling pipe in August. A test ordered by the district in October confirmed the substance was in fact asbestos.

However, the district kept the findings from DeLuca for nearly two weeks. DeLuca continued to use the room for nearly 11 days after the report. The parents of DeLuca’s students were not notified of the discovery until three days later.

Exposure to airborne asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other respiratory problems later in life.

A contractor was hired to eliminate the asbestos, and further testing confirmed airborne fibers were not present.

However, that did not ease DeLuca. She conducted her own sample tests, and results showed 610,000 asbestos particles per square centimeter. Over 100,000 particles per square centimeter is considered a cause for serious concern.

DeLuca, teaches 30 students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. She met with each student about twice a week in the room.

The classroom has been closed since November for an investigation, which will take several months to complete.