WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, ALColbert County Board of Education seeks resolution over mold outbreak

Employees of the Colbert County Board of Education are demanding answers after a mold outbreak forced them to find a new workplace.

They are meeting with the County Commission to discuss a very serious mold situation in the building where they usually work.

Superintendent Billy Hudson showed WAFF 48 News around his offices, we could see the massive amounts of mold on the walls, under the wall paper, in the insulation. Really, it's festering throughout most of the building.

Hudson said he's asked the County Commission to fix the problem a number of times in the last 12 months. He said they came in and cleaned the moldy areas, but it's just a surface clean, and it's still there.

Hudson said he just wants a clean, safe working environment for his staff, and he does have speculations as to why it hasn't been fixed.

"If this was a school situation, I would be in the unemployment line today. You know if you got a problem like this right here, you've got to go solve it. You don't sit around, wait on it. This has been a problem from day one. They knew about it, but it was all about the money," said Hudson.

In fact, there is a booklet containing more than 40 pages of photos and stories of employees who've gotten sick as a result of the mold.

Employees say they've been dealing with a number of medical issues since being exposed to the mold and it's not just sneezing.

"When I go in, in ten minutes I just break out in hives, which I have pictures. Your throat burns. It's like you're being scorched, like you're breathing in the toxins from the mold. It's just bad. I mean, one lady is even losing her hair," said Michelle Ragan, assistant to the superintendent.

During the meeting, at one point fingers were pointed and discussions got heated. After nearly two hours, both sides agree there is a problem.

"We're all united in resolving the problem in the building - one, and two - get the Board of Education set up somewhere they can operate and function for the teachers and kids of Colbert County," said Troy Woodis, Chairman of the Colbert County Commission.

County leaders say they will look over all the recommendations and work to solve the issue as soon as they can.

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