Juan Namnun is more than a teacher and coach at Philadelphia’s Frankford High School: he is also a graduate of the school, and the popular educator blames his many years spent in the 100+-year-old building for his diagnosis with a rare form of cancer. After multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and a complex recovery, Namnum and his wife Lena are suing the Philadelphia School District, as well as several companies that performed testing and environmental work, asbestos manufacturers, and others.
Teacher Diagnosed with Rare Form of Breast Cancer
Though asbestos exposure is most frequently associated with malignant mesothelioma, it has also been linked to asbestosis, ovarian cancer, and other serious illnesses. In Mr. Namnun’s case, the diagnosis is papillary carcinoma. It is rare to find the disease in the breast, and when doctors searched for an answer to its source, they found no genetic predisposition or family history. That’s when the diagnosis was linked to the asbestos contamination in Frankford High School.
The historic Frankford High School was built in 1914, and like many other school buildings in Philadelphia, its significant contamination with asbestos has raised concerns about the risk of mesothelioma. These worries were only strengthened when district teacher Lea DiRusso was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer years ago. Her illness spurred extensive asbestos testing, which has revealed the carcinogen in building after building. Frankford closed a year ago due to the problem, one of ten buildings forced to close.
Testing Meant to Prevent Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Delivered Bad Information
In light of the known asbestos issues in its decades-old buildings, the Philadelphia School District commissioned studies to identify where mesothelioma risk existed. But before closing Frankford in April of 2023, the district said that the plaster throughout the school building had been mistakenly identified as “non-asbestos-containing,” and the fact that it was damaged made the material even more dangerous.
The suit filed by the Namnums seeks financial damages from the district and others, who they say, “Have consciously decided to not warn or notify students, teachers, parents, and all those individuals who come into Frankford High School the fact that Frankford High School is heavily contaminated with asbestos which poses a serious risk of bodily injury and death to all persons inside the school building.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
