$185 million awarded to North Sound teachers exposed to chemicals at school

MONROE, Wash. — A King County jury awarded a huge settlement sum on Tuesday to three teachers who suffered brain damage while working at a Monroe school.

The teachers, who taught at Sky Valley Education Center, were awarded $185 million this week.

The teachers said they suffered brain damage from being exposed to toxins manufactured by chemical giant Monsanto.

The lawsuit pointed to polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in caulking and fluorescent light fixtures placed at the school before 1980.

Between December 2015 and April 2016, 81 people linked to the school reported health issues.

Bayer, which bought Monsanto in 2018, said the company disagreed with the verdict and may appeal. The company said the light ballasts that were the focus of the lawsuit were obsolete.

The Sky Valley Education Center has since been deemed safe by the Snohomish County Health Department and the state.

The trial was the first of 22 involving teachers, parents and students who spent time at the school.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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