SCRANTON, Pa. — Newswatch 16 reported back in January about unsafe levels of lead and asbestos in several buildings in the Scranton School District, causing one of the schools to close for the rest of the semester.
There was a possibility that former school administrators knew about the problem for years but failed to do anything about it.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro confirmed that and said it wasn't just poor judgment, it was criminal.
Former Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, former chief operations officer Jeff Brazil, and current maintenance supervisor Joseph Slack are charged with endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment. The school district would not comment on the employment status of Slack.
The attorney general says all three people were aware back in 2016 that dangerous lead and asbestos levels were present in several schools, but chose to ignore it.
The superintendent at the time assured parents the problem would be fixed, but tests done in 2018 and 2019 showed that the problem had actually gotten worse.
"Ignoring the first test broke the law, and recklessly endangered the 9,900 students in their care. But what these administrators chose to do next is really shocking. Get this. After seeing hard data on how their inaction was harming students and staff years later, they chose to actually do it again," said Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
No one knew about those more recent test results until this past winter. Shapiro says the former superintendent and chief operations officer failed to warn their successors once they left the school district.
"Each of these three school officials had a legal duty of care to children. They had actual knowledge of the problem. They did nothing. And at times, they misled students, parents, and the public," said Shapiro.
Experts warn exposure to lead can cause low IQs and learning disabilities in children. Exposure to asbestos can cause cancer.
The attorney general did say that the current school leadership took immediate action by closing the schools in the winter.
"I just think it's another step forward as we continue to move this district ahead," said current Superintendent Melissa McTiernan.
Shapiro says this is still a "very active and ongoing" investigation and that there is more to come.
The sentence for child endangerment and reckless endangerment charges ranges from probation to jail time.