TO TRUST THE FAIRNESS OF THIS
INVESTIGATION, SO HE WILL NOT
BE TAKING PART IN IT.
THIS PINELLAS COUNTY SCHOOL
IS UNDER FIRE BY PARENTS AND
TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY SAY MOLD
IS IS A BIG PROBLEM AT THAT
SCHOOL.
SO BAD, THAT SOME ARE PULLING
THEIR CHILDREN OUT AND SENDING
THEM TO CLASS ELSEWHERE.
8 ON YOUR SIDE WAS FIRST TO
BREAK THIS STORY LAST MONTH.
AND SINCE THEN, AFTER AN AIR
QUALITY INSPECTION AND SEVERAL
HEATED MEETINGS, THE SCHOOLS
FOUNDER STILL INSISTS THAT THE
KIDS ARE SAFE.
PAUL MUELLER JOINS US LIVE FROM
THE LARGO CAMPUS.
AND PAUL, FIRST THERE WASN'T
MOLD, THEN THERE WAS.
NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE BACK
TO SQUARE ONE.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Reporter: IT SEEMS THAT WAY
HERE AT LARGO'S PLATO ACADEMY,
BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR
DEFINITION OF MOLD REALLY IS.
AND ...
WHO YOU ASK.
WITHIN THE THIRD WEEK OF
SCHOOL, HE STARTED HAVING
CHRONIC COUGHS.
Reporter: THEY ARE YANKING
THEIR SON OUT OF PLATO
ACADEMY'S CAMPUS.
HE HAS CHRONIC UPPER
RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.
DOCTOR'S ORDERS.
THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM
THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP.
Reporter: THEY LOST THEIR
TRUST WHEN PICTURES OF MOLD AT
THE SCHOOL SURFACED.
PARENTS DEMANDED ANSWERS AND
THEY WERE TOUGH TO GET.
YOU SAID THERE WAS NO MOLD,
THEN, THERE WAS MOLD.
YOU HAD SAID.
I SAY IT AGAIN.
WHICH IS IT?
MOLD OR NO MOLD?
THIS IS NO MOLD OF
SIGNIFICANT LEVELS THAT
ENDANGER HUMAN BEINGS.
Reporter: THE RESULTS, MOLD
IN THE DUCT WORK AND IN THE
FLOORS.
NOT DANGEROUS, THE FOUNDER
SAID.
THOUGH WITH THE TESTS COMES A
PRETTY BIG BILL.
SO WHY SPEND $15,000 TEARING
UP FLOORS AND CLEANING AIR DUCT
INS.
NOT BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS
RIGHT NOW.
THE REPORT SAYS IT IS BECAUSE
TO AVOID IN THE FUTURE FROM
THIS BECOMING A PROBLEM.
Reporter: CAN YOU STAND HERE
TODAY AND TELL ME THE TEACHERS,
THE PARENTS, AND STUDENTS AND
ASSURE THEM THAT THERE IS NO
MOLD FOR THE LAST TIME THAT
THERE IS NO MOLD IN THIS
SCHOOL.
CAN YOU STAND THERE AND TELL
THAT TO ME TRUTHFULLY?
I WILL TELL YOU THIS.
NUMBER ONE.
YES OR NO?
THERE IS NO LEVEL OF MOLD
DANGEROUS TO THE HEALTH OF
CHILDREN.
Reporter: NOT GOOD ENOUGH
FOR THIS FAMILY.
THEY SAY THEIR SON WILL JUST
GET SICKER.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT DONE?
I WANT THE SCHOOL TO FESS UP
AND DEAL WITH THE ISSUES, NOT
COVER THEM UP.
Reporter: AND, THE WORK ON
THE AIR DUCTS AND FLOORS HAS
ALREADY BEGUN.
THE WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE ASAP
FOR ANY POTENTIAL LONG TERM
EXPOSURE.
PAUL, YOU SAID SOME STUDENTS
HAVE ALREADY PULLED THEIR KIDS
OUT OF THE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF
THE MOLD CONCERNS.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEEDAMS?
ARE THEY PLANNING TO DO THE
SAME?
Reporter: WELL, THEY GAVE
THUS NOTE.
A DOCTOR'S NOTE FOR THEIR SON.
THE LAST LINE SAYS THAT HE
REQUIRES A MOLD-FREE ACADEMIC
ENVIRONMENT.
THEY TOLD ME THEY WISH THEY HAD
A CHOICE IN THIS SITUATION.
