Teacher Blames Hep C Infection On DOE Neglect

Teacher Blames Hep C Infection On DOE Neglect

By HOWARD MEGDAL

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has called for the Department of Education to comply with New York State Public Employee Safety and Health standards regarding the handling of hazardous materials after a member contracted Hepatitis C from a child.

Paraprofessional Lori Baron of Beach Channel High School got the disease from two biting incidents in 1996-97.

'Shouldn't Happen Here'

"A situation like this shouldn't happen in this city," Ms. Weingarten said. "Lori Baron is sick because of the Board of Education."

The UFT has been fighting the battle for safer working conditions for a while; its first universal complaint over non-compliance with safety precautions for Teachers handling blood was made on Feb. 13, 1995.

PESH gave the then-Board of Education a notice of violation in July of 1995. The Department has accumulated upwards of $50,000 in fines to date. The DOE is appealing the PESH citation.

The situation extends beyond Ms. Baron. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight UFT staff members have reported exposure to blood-borne pathogens at work. The union believes the actual number of exposures would be higher were it not for under-reporting.

"Educators are not being trained," Ms. Weingarten said. "They are offered very little protection." She added that "not one employee" she knew of in District 75 had regular access to basic means of precaution, such as rubber gloves.

DOE: Plan in Place

The DOE disputed the UFT leader's characterization.

"We have been operating for years according to a detailed plan that includes regular training to prevent exposure to blood-borne pathogens, the distribution of gloves to employees for such duties as diapering children, and Hepatitis vaccines at no cost to District 75 employees," Dan Weisberg, executive director for labor policy at DOE, said.

For Ms. Baron, who still works at Beach Channel High School, the struggle with Hepatitis C continues. She was diagnosed in 2003 and missed more than four months of work on unpaid leave. Had she been warned by the school about her student's condition at the time of the incident, an interferon treatment might have been able to fight off the disease.

"These students are wonderful," she said. "However, some scratch. Some bite. This is part of the situation we deal with."

Sues Over Neglect

Ms. Baron and the UFT pointed out that the school system is required to comply with PESH standards under the state's Occupational Safety and Health Act. "Imagine how I felt when I realized this could have been prevented if my boss had obeyed the law," Ms. Baron said. She has a suit pending against the DOE.

Ms. Weingarten believes Ms. Baron's public stand may force the DOE to act. "I am glad Lori decided to speak out," the UFT leader said. "Maybe by her speaking out, the situation can change."