Another suit over illnesses

Defendants say the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayers' money.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Less than three weeks after one action against the Girard Board of Education was dismissed another has been filed.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court lists 13 children, 14 parents and four teachers as plaintiffs, each seeking more than $25,000 in damages.
It names the board of education, the former superintendent and five companies as defendants.
The suit contends the defendants "cooperated and conspired to commit a fraud upon the teaching staff, the school children, their families, as well as the general public at large by withholding information of a known and serious health risk."
Girard Intermediate School was closed not long after it opened in 2000 after staff and pupils became ill.
A group calling itself Girard Concerned Parents petitioned the court to remove three school board members, saying they were aware that a health hazard existed before the board closed the building in May 2001.
Judge Mitchell Shaker ruled earlier this month there was not enough evidence to prove the board members -- Jamie DeVore, Jane A. Harris and Richard Ragozine -- were guilty of gross neglect of duty.
Reaction
Another defendant in the new action, Anthony D'Ambrosio, former Girard superintendent who is now superintendent of Trumbull County Educational Service Center, called the lawsuit unfortunate.
"Especially with the teachers, we were up front with them from day one," he said. "We gave them every scrap of information that we got and the same thing with the parents."
Saying he's disappointed, he called the suit a waste of tax dollars.
"Here we go again with another witch hunt -- it's appropriate for Halloween," he said.
Attorneys representing parents and pupils in a previous lawsuit against the school board didn't provide medical or scientific proof of health problems, D'Ambrosio and board members say.
Details of suit
The suit contends that during the construction process, insulation, duct work and carpeting were stored outdoors "susceptible to mold, bacterial, and other organic and/or inorganic contaminants."
Staff and pupils experienced severe and persistent symptoms, including headaches, nausea, fatigue, rashes, forgetfulness and burning eyes, the suit says.
Company representatives at Steel Valley Engineering of Youngstown and Roth Brothers of Austintown declined to comment.
Officials at Prout Boiler, Heating & amp; Welding Inc.; Balog, Ricciuti & amp; Partners; and Hively Construction Co., all of Youngstown, couldn't be reached Thursday.
Harris, DeVore and Ragozine have said school district funds are better spent on educating children than fighting lawsuits.
"We would like to get down to the business of running a school district and using money for the good of our children," Harris said.
DeVore and Ragozine said taxpayers should be outraged.
"The hardworking taxpayers should really be upset by this," DeVore said. "This is going to cost a lot in attorney fees to defend."
sinkovich@vindy.comdick@vindy.com