Cleanup company sues Romeo schools
ROMEO — After weeks of threats, Wonder Makers Environmental Inc. has filed a 10-count lawsuit in Macomb Circuit Court against Romeo Community Schools.
The Kalamazoo-based company is seeking $90,125.28 it says the district failed to pay for Wonder Makers’ handling of black mold cleanup at Washington Elementary School. Wonder Makers said it lowered its fee by about $15,000 as a courtesy to the district, but now wants the original amount it was owed.
The company also is seeking $25,000 for each of its claims of defamation by Romeo schools officials and environmental experts hired by the district to review Wonder Makers’ work.
Some of the comments — which questioned Wonder Makers’ findings, disputed the company’s data and asked whether the company overstated the black mold problem — were published in area newspapers. Wonder Makers had told officials they were going to sue if the comments were not retracted. When retractions were not made, the company filed suit, said Norman Yatooma, Wonder Makers attorney.
“Our requests fell on deaf ears,” Yatooma said. “We did what we were hired to do and have not been paid.”
Romeo School Board President Kathleen Wreford said she was unaware of the suit and declined comment.
Employees at Washington Elementary discovered black mold at the school last spring. Black mold can cause severe headaches, as well as breathing problems for people with asthma. Chronic exposure to high contamination can result in severe, possibly fatal lung disease.
Officials hired Wonder Makers to check out Washington Elementary School. Wonder Makers said that costly roof work and NASA-style suits were needed in order to safely clean the building.
Other experts hired by the district disputed the findings and said lesser steps were needed. The district wound up using bleach water and germ-killing vacuums to clean the school. Carpets and floor tiles also were replaced.
Washington students started the fall semester at other schools in the districts while work was being done on the elementary school. Most students finally were permitted to return to Washington in late January. The rest are expected to return by next week.
Wonder Makers’ suit follows one filed by Statewide Disaster Restoration Inc. The Oak Park company’s three-count suit alleges breach of contract and that the district benefited by not paying Statewide. The suit seeks $522,000 plus damages.
Statewide officials have declined comment.
Paul Soma, former executive director of business affairs for the district, said Statewide performed work at Washington Elementary that the company did not have permission to complete.
