Deferred maintenance in institutional and commercial buildings can cause a host of problems for maintenance and engineering managers. Staff workloads increase, eventual repairs are more costly, and facilities are less efficient and safe. But in the case of one school district, allegedly failing to pay attention to needed repairs has led to possible legal ramifications.
Five families recently filed a lawsuit against the Cleveland Metropolitan School District over mold issue, according to Cleveland.com. The lawsuit claims that since at least spring 2020, Newton D. Baker School of Arts has suffered from a leaky roof, poor maintenance and inadequate remediation of water damage and mold growth. The families say their children experienced physical harm, including headaches, flu-like symptoms and sinus infections due to mold exposure.
Heavy rainfall in early 2025 caused significant flooding that brought the mold issue to a crisis point, according to the lawsuit. Photographs in the filing show large trash bins being used to catch water in hallways, stained ceiling tiles throughout the building and visible mold growth throughout the school. These conditions ultimately contributed to the school’s closure in April.
Tests by environmental consultants revealed elevated levels of black mold in multiple locations in the school building — specifically, in the cafeteria and a second-floor classroom.
The district knew of water leak issues at the school for years before taking significant action, according to the filing. While the district did send roofers to repair leaks, the lawsuit claims they “failed to take the appropriate remedial and proactive measures to prevent mold toxicity from harming Newton Baker’s teachers, staff, and students.”
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
