NEW YORK—Rhonda Rivera filed a lawsuit on Friday against the building owners of the now-closed Bronx New School. Rivera worked as an elementary teacher’s aide in the building for 19 years and was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in 2009.
The suit is against Nessen Lamps and the Rinzler Family partnership, who owns the building, for unspecified damages. The lamp factory used hundreds of gallons of toxic solvents before the building was leased to the city.
The Department of Education (DOE) tested for toxins and, through air monitoring tests in January, found toxic chemicals like trichloroethylene, which is considered a carcinogen by many health organizations. The DOE has been criticized for not informing the school members right away. Officials only notified the parents and school months later in August.
“We are seeking justice for what happened to Ms. Rivera, and we hope that our efforts will also shed light on what we believe is a broad public health issue,” said her lawyer Bernard Daskal.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
