Millions Of Dollars Awarded To Victims In Washington School Poisoning Case

A jury awarded four plaintiffs millions of dollars in a case against an agricultural company over chemical poisoning at a Washington school, KING 5 reports on Tuesday (July 27).

Monsanto was sued by dozens of families in 2018 after highly toxic chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found in classrooms at Sky Valley Education Center in the Monroe School District.

Reporters said three plaintiffs who suffered "significant brain injuries" will be getting their own payouts in the millions. One was awarded $18 million, another got $`17 million and the other plaintiff got $15 million. The fourth person, who is the spouse of one of the people injured, got $150,000 as part of a "loss consortium" for damage to their relationship.

"We are happy with this verdict," plaintiff's lawyer Rick Friedman said. "From the very beginning, we have been concerned about how this will affect children across the country."

The agricultural company was the sole manufacturer of PCBs, which was outlawed in the 1970s.

"Monsanto promoted the chemicals, without alerting anyone of their harmful nature, attorney Sean Gamble said at the time... Attorneys in 2018 said PCBs were in the light ballasts and caulking, and as the infrastructure deteriorated, the chemicals released into the air," KING 5 learned.

Children, teachers, and parents reported multiple health issues due to the contamination, including autoimmune problems, neurological disorders, breathing, and cardiac problems, developmental disorders in children, reproductive disorders, and liver damage.

Monsanto faces another upcoming trial over children hurt at the school in September. At least 20 more trials are lined up over the next four years, all related to Sky Valley.

Bayer, a pharmaceutical company that bought Monsanto in 2018, said this as part of a statement to KING 5 about the verdict:

"We thank the jury for their extensive service in this case but respectfully disagree with their verdict and plan to pursue post-trial motions and, if necessary, an appeal. The undisputed evidence in this case does not support the conclusions that plaintiffs were exposed to unsafe levels of PCBs at the Sky Valley Education Center (SVEC) or that any exposure could have possibly caused their claimed injuries."

You can read the full statement, along with more details about the incident, here.