The Washington Teachers Union alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday that D.C. public schools violated health protocols and failed to maintain a safe environment at a high school after a teacher died of COVID-19.
The complaint claims that Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy did not inform students that a teacher was diagnosed with COVID-19 and failed to tell its staff for 11 days, the DCist reported.
Helen M. White, a cosmetology teacher at the school, died after contracting the virus according to union president Elizabeth Davis.
Principal Cara Fuller told the school Monday that White had passed away over the weekend due to “health complications,” according to the DCist.
“Mrs. White was cherished as a close confidant and kind nurturer of everyone she encountered, both students and staff,” Fuller said. “She always had a smile on her face and a gracious and welcoming spirit.”
“There is absolutely no justification for that much of a delay. None that I would accept,” Davis said. “She was truly admired by her students, highly regarded by her colleagues.”
Union alleges safety protocol violations at DC school where teacher died of COVID https://t.co/EfO2NPhORt pic.twitter.com/8cGuxVid7J
— The Hill (@thehill) February 9, 2021
Fuller notified the community in a letter Feb. 22 that a person who had not been on campus since Jan. 11 tested positive for the virus, the DCist reported. The school system maintained that D.C. health officials concluded White wasn’t in close contact with anyone at the school during that time. (RELATED: Should Chicago Public School Teachers Go Back To School?)
Union officials are asking to meet with the school system to discuss its grievance that the incident breached its contract with teachers, claiming classes were not held in a safe environment, according to the DCist.