An eighth grade student at Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School in Hempfield was injured after being exposed to toxic fumes in the school’s gymnasium, his father said in a lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County court.
The lawsuit claims the student was among several children who became sick while attending a Veterans Day Mass in the school gym Nov. 11. The gym floor had been resurfaced a few days prior, and dangerous fumes lingered in the air and were inhaled by students, the court filing contends.
The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg operates the school, which has about 350 students. Diocese spokesman Cliff Gorski declined to comment Wednesday, citing a policy to not discuss legal action or privacy matters of students.
According to the lawsuit, one student fell during the Mass and another collapsed and injured his chin, prompting school officials to end the service and remove the pupil from the gymnasium.
Students initially returned to the their classrooms but were later allowed to briefly go outside before a third student — the plaintiff’s son — collapsed while walking to the bathroom and hit his head on the floor.
The boy suffered a concussion and “continues to suffer from weekly headaches, which has impacted his ability to learn and enjoy the normal things he did prior to the accident,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges one count of negligence against the school and an unnamed contractor. It claims the school failed to keep students away from toxic fumes and was reckless for not evacuating the building once several children fell ill. The lawsuit also claims the contractor failed to adequately ventilate the gym and protect others from inhaling dangerous fumes.
“No emergency personnel were called to investigate the building condition,” the suit states.
