Westlake Teachers Take District Officials to Task on Rat Sightings

Three middle school teachers argued at last week’s Mount Pleasant Board of Education work session that district officials failed to do enough to prevent rats from entering the middle school and high school campus this winter.

Middle school teachers Virginia Campbell, Courtney Angle and Tom Hall said at the Apr. 13 board work session that teachers had been providing officials information about rats at the school well before the Feb. 25 incident. However, their concerns have barely been addressed.

Despite no further sightings, Campbell said that on several occasions in recent years teachers at the West Lake Drive campus have expressed their concerns about rodents. At last week’s meeting they provided materials and e-mails to the school board that documented sightings.

She said teachers have tried unsuccessfully to work with district officials on the issue.

“The teachers did not feel their voices were heard,” Campbell said.

As a result, they decided to bring their concerns directly to the trustees, she said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Guiney said at the time of the Feb. 25 sightings, the first wood rat was discovered in the morning in a hallway and was killed by a school custodian. The second was found in the cafeteria during the first lunch period in the early afternoon but escaped. No students were harmed and no food was contaminated, she said.

After the rat was spotted in the cafeteria, students ate in other locations throughout the school while the area was cleaned by custodians.

Board President Eric Schulze said the district has been working to ensure there would be no further sightings. No rats have been seen since the February incidents. Guiney added that whenever there have been previous reports of sightings the buildings and grounds staff have responded.

The Westchester County Department of Health and state Department of Labor officials inspected the two Westlake schools and found the district had been proceeding properly with efforts to prevent future infestations, Guiney said. There had been one infestation on the campus during the 2014-15 school year from the construction of the EF Academy off Columbus Avenue, she said.

At Hall’s request, the district invited an expert from Cornell University to visit the campus shortly after the February sightings, who concluded that the district was following proper procedures, Guiney said.

Angle and Hall said teachers’ concerns over rats were expressed during a Safety Committee meeting last April, which included Director of Facilities Ed Kear. However, the district failed to take enough steps to address the problem. Angle said candy she was keeping to distribute to students recently was eaten, presumably by a rodent.

Campbell said it appeared that Guiney was blaming teachers and students for the rats when she told media outlets after the February incident that there had been specific instructions to close doors and how to store food.

Officials have requested that food only be contained in the cafeteria, not in classrooms, locker rooms or other areas, and in sealed metal containers, Guiney said. The teachers have been informed of those recommendations, she said.

Furthermore, approved traps have been placed in and around the buildings and staff have been told to throw out partially eaten lunches, Guiney said. Faculty and staff have been notified to keep all doors to the outside closed because the back of the middle school is near a wooded area, she said.

“Reports from the Board of Health and the Department of Labor along with the Cornell report indicate that no infestation exists and that the district continues to successfully address a concern if and when it arises,” Guiney said.

Trustee Christopher Pinchiaroli said staff and students are not being blamed, but steps such as closing doors must be taken so rats do not return.

Trustee Theresa Fowler said she asked teachers twice what steps they wanted the district to take, but they failed to provide any suggestions.

Angle said she was surprised by what she described as a negative attitude expressed by Guiney and the board.

The district continues to actively monitor and address the facilities to prevent future incidents and district officials remain open and available if a concern arises, Guiney said.