EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Reports of black mold at a Socorro ISD middle-school campus were allegedly brushed off after a group of teachers independently gathered and sent samples to a laboratory for testing.
The district said common mold was found at William D. Slider Middle School, but black mold was never detected. The district also says the school was thoroughly cleaned and no mold has been reported since.
A former teacher at Slider Middle School said after an educator saw what appeared to be black mold in one of their classrooms in August 2023, they raised concerns to administrators. When they were told the cabinets would be replaced by leadership, the teachers took and sent samples from classroom 206 to Sun City Analytical Inc.
The test came back positive on Aug. 16, 2023 for Stachybotrys mold, commonly known as black mold, according to a report obtained by KTSM.
KTSM’s source said when this information was brought up to the principal he contacted the district.
The district then took their own samples from classroom 208 to Eurofins laboratory on Aug. 22, 2023 where the analysis identified the substance as Aspergillus/Penicillium, better known as common mold, according to a report obtained by KTSM.
Our source, who did not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation, said: “I had joint pain, and I was getting like puffy hands. I felt exhausted, brain fog, like I was forgetting what I was saying in the middle of teaching. Other people were feeling like burning skin, itchy skin, same thing, brain fog. The kids were coughing.”
A pulmonology care physician with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center said black mold exposure symptoms feel like heightened allergies for some and could be more serious for others with respiratory or underlying health problems.
“Some people might have some coughs or some shortness of breath or a little chest tightness, particularly if they have an underlying respiratory condition. It’s all about removing yourself from the situation and then trying to treat the problem,” Dr. Patrick Kicker said.
KTSM reached out to SISD who said in a statement:
“There was a report of possible mold in a limited area of Slider Middle School. The district tested the substance, and the presence of common mold was confirmed. Black mold was not detected. At that time, our maintenance team thoroughly cleaned the rooms, repainted surfaces with mold resistant paint, replaced all cabinetry, and changed air filters and cleaned the HVAC systems that service the affected rooms. Parents and employees were notified of the report and the actions taken to address the situation. There have been no reports of mold since.”
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