Called on the Carpet

Gloria Flores says her classroom's carpet was covered in standing water at Pasadena's Southmore Intermediate. She says her students splashed each other and left her Texas history class with their pants legs soaked.

"Not only was this unsanitary, but it was illegal," says her attorney, Todd Mensing.

Flores claims she repeatedly reported the flooding from a leak in the air conditioner to officials and was always ignored -- and then asked to resign.

The board says that since she missed more than 50 school days, they chose not to renew her contract. Flores says she was absent because she is severely allergic to the mold and mildew.

Three weeks ago she filed a whistle-blower lawsuit alleging that during the last five years she was ignored when she reported the unsanitary conditions. Flores says when she complained to the new principal, her resignation was requested. The case was nonsuited and an administrative trial was conducted in front of the Pasadena school board last Thursday night.

Richard Morris, an attorney for PISD, said Flores's case was ridiculous. "She's gone more than she's here," he said. "Now she wants to point to some stained carpet and say she's being retaliated against. The problem is, this stuff wasn't an issue with her until after she was told they were non-renewing her contract."

The administration was also outraged that Flores drew students into the battle by giving her kids the assignment to compare the moldy classroom they were in with the new nonsick classroom she had been moved to. Flores's Texas State Teacher's Association representative, Lauren McElhannon, had suggested she do that. McElhannon justifies the action by saying that teaching kids to compare and contrast is a TAAS skill -- and that studying "the environment" is part of the history curriculum.

Flores brought pictures of her classroom's dirty carpet and crusty air conditioner. But the administration said the black gunk on the air conditioner, which she said was mold, was actually tar used to stop the leak.

When Flores took the witness stand, Morris asked, "Did you go to work today? Did you go to work yesterday? Did you go to work this month?"

No, she said. Her doctor has forbidden her to enter the building because it might make her sicker. Flores pulled six different types of antibiotics, antihistamines, inhalers and decongestants out of her purse. Morris pointed out that they were all prescribed aftershe was told that her contract wasn't being renewed.

Flores said she has allergies, asthma, upper respiratory infections and bronchitis because of the building. Morris asked if she had bronchitis, why hadn't he heard her cough all evening. (A writer for the Houston Presssat right behind Flores and noted that she was coughing constantly.)

Flores brought teachers to testify that their allergies had also worsened during their tenure at the school and that whenever they got sick, they stayed sick. Morris pointed out that none of them were doctors and that stuffy noses are not out of the ordinary in polluted Pasadena or middle schools in general. He also pointed out that the other teachers may have felt sick, but they did not miss as much school as Flores.

The board voted 5-1 to not renew her contract.

"We knew that was what it was gonna be," Flores said softly after the decision. "We knew from the very beginning. They say this trial is a right, but it's just a formality."

She and her lawyer are still discussing whether they're going to refile a lawsuit.