THOUSAND OAKS : Cleaner Blamed for Illnesses at Westlake High

A Westlake High School science teacher and several students are complaining that a chemical used April 21 to remove graffiti from their classroom desks made them sick.

Administrators with the Conejo Valley Unified School District say the incident arose from a custodian’s use of an old bottle of a paint-removing product called “Wipe Out,” which contained a heavily diluted mixture of xylene.

The chemical can be toxic if inhaled in concentrated doses, Assistant Supt. Sarah Hart said.

The manufacturer of Wipe Out has not used xylene in the product for about two years, Hart said. The bottle of cleaner that was used was dated 1986, she said. It has been removed from use but will remain in the district for testing during an investigation, she said.

“This was less than 10%, about 8% xylene in a cleaning solution that was used on the day before,” Hart said.

The teacher, Worth Crouch, said he has filed a workers’ compensation claim against the district, alleging that he was exposed to the chemical over four years and that it affected his entire body. He has been off work since shortly after the incident.

Crouch, 50, complained of hypertension, breathing difficulties, skin rashes and short-term memory problems that he contends are related to his exposure to xylene.

“The district isn’t even letting people know if they’ve been exposed to xylene,” Crouch said at a news conference he called Thursday in front of the school.

Five students who joined him said they also suffered respiratory problems, rashes and nausea within a day after their desks were cleaned with the mixture.

“I used to run a lot, but I can’t run anymore, said Gretchen LaTour, 14, a ninth-grader in Crouch’s science class.

The custodian who used the cleaner, Nick Super, said he believes the product containing xylene had been used at the school for at least two years. Super has also filed a workers’ compensation claim for vision and breathing problems that he attributes to xylene exposure.