Joellen Lawson, a former special education teacher at ’s , which was torn down in 2000 due to a severe mold problem, to be rebuilt three years later, said in a recent CNN report that she has never recovered fully from the effects of mold and other possible toxins which she was exposed to while working at the school from 1991-1998.
According to the report, "Are Schools Making Kids Sick?," Lawson has since been on permanent disability “with a host of ailments including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition that has left her with 50 percent of her lung capacity.”
As a result of her experience, Lawson has become a staunch advocate for healthy school environments. She is a member of the Healthy Schools Network, Inc., which lobbies on the state and federal level for laws that protect children from mold and other facilities-related health hazards in schools.
The CNN report is mostly focused on the pontential dangers mold presents to children, but points out that school staff are often affected as well.
