Vermont School District Sues Flooring Company, Delays Start of School Year

August 4, 2009

The Montpelier School District in Vermont recently filed a lawsuit against Morrison-Clark, Inc flooring company. It claims that the firm did not properly handle an asbestos contamination. The three charges include neglect, breach of contract and consumer fraud.

The district is seeking damages for over $88,000. It claims that the company put tiles in the school building and did not properly handle the clean up, which, according to federal law, should be handled only by licensed professionals. The district says that they were forced to delay the start of the school year several days, costing extra in teachers’ wages and causing the children to lose part of their summer vacation.

Asbestos has been found to cause mesothelioma- a deadly form of respiratory lung cancer. Had the fibers been inhaled by the children at the school, there could have been an outbreak of the disease.

Morrison-Clark, Inc. has denied all charges and said that no asbestos was ever found on the construction site.