Mothers sue CPS after carbon monoxide leak

Several mothers of elementary school students filed separate lawsuits Thursday against Chicago Public Schools after a carbon monoxide leak two weeks ago on the Northwest Side.

The six lawsuits allege negligence by CPS in the Oct. 30 carbon monoxide leak at Prussing Elementary School in the Jefferson Park neighborhood.

Two of the six mothers, Fida Abuhattab and Kristina King, were helping with Halloween activities at the school, located at 4650 N. Menard, when the leak occurred, according to their lawsuits. Abuhattab has three children enrolled in the school, while King had two children there that day.

The other women who filed suits, Nicole Munoz, Zahwa Alhasan, Melissa Bergner, and Laura Kinkade, each has one child at Prussing.

Fire crews were called to the school about 9:30 a.m. and eventually took 71 children and 7 adults to hospitals with symptoms such as nausea and dizziness, authorities said at the time. The school’s boiler appeared to have caused the leak.

Each of the lawsuits alleges at least two counts of negligence on behalf of the students, and King and Abuhattab also sued for personal injury. The mothers are asking for a total of $700,000 in damages.

In addition to CPS, the Chicago Board of Education, School District 229, and the Public Building Commission of Chicago were named as defendants in each of the lawsuits.

A representative from CPS said he could not comment on pending litigation Thursday evening.