Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Nineteen former employees of a Broward County Courthouse are suing the county, claiming that their work environment was contaminate with asbestos, toxic mold, and other harmful substances that are making them sick.  The employees claim that damage to the building occurred years ago but no successful attempt has been made to repair it, leading to the “sick building” syndrome that has sidelined them.  The suit is seeking compensation for their illnesses and a mandatory evacuation order for the building itself. 

Skip Campbell, a former state senator and lawyer for the 19, said that county officials have “totally neglected this courthouse."  Citing damage from hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, and the failed repair attempts thereafter, the suits claim that the building is unsafe and a continued health hazard for all the employees and visitors, not just the ones involved in the lawsuit.  He adds that by tabling the demolition of the building and postponing the construction of a replacement the officials just are “not doing their jobs.”

How serious is the situation?  Employees report the presence of toxic mold emanating from damaged section of the courthouse.  Others have claimed to see asbestos fibers “floating” through the air in publically accessible portions of the building.

The courthouse, located in Fort Lauderdale, is scheduled to be replaced in the near future.  Officials have set aside $328 million dollars to replace the building but construction has stalled indefinitely.  However, County officials emphatically deny the presence of either mold or asbestos and maintain that the current building is a safe place to work.  That’s not stopping the public and employees from ratcheting up the pressure to replace the ailing building.

The court documents don’t mention any testing to either prove or disprove the presence of these harmful elements which, if present, can cause a wide variety of respiratory illnesses and decades later lead to asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.   The building was constructed 50 years ago, before the Clean Air Act regulated asbestos in new construction, and therefore likely was built with asbestos materials.

Meanwhile, active leaks in the building continue to spread untested, potentially hazardous debris throughout the building and current and former employees are unhappy.

This isn’t the first time that this courthouse has been in the news.  A similar “sick building” accusation arose years ago but Campbell admits that claim was more about political posturing than anything else. 

Campbell went on record as saying that this case involving his 19 clients is not about public or political posturing, it’s about the health and safety of the employees.  In fact, Campbell says that the county should be responsible for the cost of continually monitoring these individuals for health issue that might arise in the future in addition to taking care of the medical expenses they face from their current ailments. 

A similar case last year resulted in a $10 million settlement for a court employee who developed an asbestos illness after being exposed at the workplace.