Santa Monica-Malibu school district alleges vandalism in hunt for cancer-causing material

Two people reportedly entered Juan Cabrillo Elementary and Malibu High schools last month in a search for materials they thought could contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Now, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has asked authorities to investigate allegations of trespassing and vandalism related to the search, which apparently involved taking caulk samples to test, said Sgt. Matthew Dunn of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department.

The sheriff’s office ultimately will bring the results of the investigation to the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are warranted, he said. The incident occurred Oct. 9 and was reported Oct 26.

The initial damage estimate was between $1,500 and $2,000, Dunn said, but “it could go up significantly from there.”

Parents and teachers have voiced concerns about potential contaminants, specifically polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the schools for years. In 2013, several staff said they had been diagnosed with health problems. PCBs were used in public construction between 1950 and 1979, when they were banned by the federal government.

In a letter to parents and staff, school district Supt. Sandra Lyon said repaired building materials were damaged in areas where the toxic chemical was removed. The trespassers used box cutters to slice out and carry away pieces of the building materials in several classrooms, Lyon said.

Lyon’s letter connects the school intrusion with recent reports from America Unites for Kids detailing test results from caulk taken in June, August and September. The school district claims those tests “also provide evidence of previous unauthorized access and vandalism to our campuses.”

“The facts are going to show we didn’t engage in any wrongdoings,” said Hope Edelman, board member at America Unites. “Vandalism is a crime that involves malice, and there’s nothing inherently malicious about trying to protect the health and safety of teachers.”

America Unites President Jennifer deNicola is the target of the investigation, Edelman said.

“This is a gratuitous act by the school district to try and silence parents who are trying to prove the school is not in compliance with federal law,” she said.

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