in 1994, the chicago tribune found that five employees had died from various forms of cancer, primarily breast cancer, between 1982 and 1994, and four current staff members had been diagnosed with cancer, three of which had been working in the building for ten years. in addition to that, teachers, staff, and students complained of bronchitis, colds, flus, asthma, and allergies. incidents of asthma were so severe for students that some decided to transfer to different schools. the teachers wrote to the school board asking for an investigation. the administration immediately agreed to investigate the concerns. at this time, media coverage was heavy, placing pressure on the school district to take immediate action.