PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia teachers' union is outraged that its environmental specialist Friday was denied access to Frankford High School to inspect a report of mold growing in the music room, and was escorted off of school property.
Photos from a concerned teacher show what appears to be mold growing on a piano, instrument cases and music stands in the music room at Frankford High School.
According to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the teacher used the PFT’s Healthy Schools Tracker app to report the issue Wednesday, adding “there is mold growth everywhere,” “there is no running HVAC system,” and “it smells all the time.”
PFT environmental specialist Jerry Roseman, in a statement, said he repeatedly asked the school district for a joint inspection but got no response. Roseman said he recommended the room be closed to students and staff and that it be dehumidified.
Fearing the mold growth could be more extensive than what the pictures showed, Roseman arrived at Frankford Friday morning to inspect the music room.
The PFT said Roseman was denied entry and escorted off of school property.
School District spokeswoman Christina Clark said in a statement that Roseman, as a contractor for the PFT, was required to follow the visitor policy of notifying district staff ahead of the visit.
Clark said a contractor is beginning mold remediation work Monday, and that the music room will be off-limits to students and staff until the work is completed, likely later next week.
While the reports of mold emerged Friday, City Councilmember Helen Gym introduced a resolution to hold hearings on funding a comprehensive modernization of Philadelphia’s aging school buildings.
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