Teachers, students and union warn of unsafe chemistry rooms, mold and delayed maintenance

Multiple teachers and union representatives told the Mount Diablo Unified School District board on Feb. 11 that long‑standing maintenance failures are creating unsafe workplaces and classrooms across the district.

At College Park High School, science department chair Evan White testified that a chemistry stockroom lacks ventilation, the ceiling and walls are crumbling, and staff have raised possible asbestos concerns: "I'm worried it's asbestos... Our stockroom... doesn't have a ventilation system... My teachers are dying," White said.

AP Chemistry teacher and union representative Jill Maganito said the district has known about the problem for at least 428 days and that repeated emails to maintenance have been unanswered for months. "If I fall dead or if I get lung cancer, there's blood on the district's hands," she said.

Union perspective: Linda Ortega, president of the Mount Diablo Education Association, summarized complaints district‑wide — maggots falling from ceilings, rodent droppings, mold and CO2 accumulation — and said the lack of immediate response is "inexcusable." Ortega asked the board how staff are being informed after serious incidents and demanded clearer follow‑up when site safety is affected.

Other teachers reported flooding under electrical boxes in stockrooms, broken exhaust fans, suspected mold in music rooms that displaced students, and failures of fume hoods required for chemistry instruction. Several said they have filed OSHA complaints.

What the board heard about process: Presenters said they had followed grievance procedures and escalated issues up to the superintendent’s office. Board members responded by requesting a follow‑up report; one trustee asked the maintenance and operations department to prepare a facilities update specifically addressing chemistry room safety and ventilation.

Next steps: Trustees asked staff to return with a report on facilities and the status of corrective actions; no formal board action was taken at the meeting aside from requests for follow‑up.