Chavez Elementary lawsuit settlement $650K

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Settlement in Chavez Mold Case

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Updated: 6:38 PM Apr 21, 2006

A battle that began five years ago over mold at Madison's Cesar Chavez

Elementary School is over.

35 teachers and students who filed a lawsuit against Westra Construction

Company have settled out of court for $650,000.

In 2001 Chavez Elementary was closed just three months after it opened when

mold was found in a majority of the classrooms.

The 35 people who brought on the suit claimed they developed severe asthma

and other respiratory problems from being exposed to the mold.

As a result, Westra Construction, the company which built the school, will

pay the damage settlement.

" Cases like this do take a long time but I think the time was well spent and

everyone was working diligently, " says Jim Olson, one of the attorney's for

the plaintiffs. " The plaintiffs, who are primarily teachers but there are a

few students will get some compensation. They are not fully compensated for

their loss but that is the nature of compromised agreements. "

The $650,000 settlement was paid by Westra's insurance company and not by

taxpayers.

In 2002, a report found the building had not been aired properly during the

construction process, creating a wet building syndrome. Chavez Elementary was

refurbished and opened again in August of 2002