A battle that began five years ago over mold at Madison's Cesar Chavez Elementary School is over.

35 teachers and students who filed a lawsuit against Westra Construction Company have settled out of court for $650,000.

In 2001 Chavez Elementary was closed just three months after it opened when mold was found in a majority of the classrooms.

The 35 people who brought on the suit claimed they developed severe asthma and other respiratory problems from being exposed to the mold.
As a result, Westra Construction, the company which built the school, will pay the damage settlement.

"Cases like this do take a long time but I think the time was well spent and everyone was working diligently," says Jim Olson, one of the attorney's for the plaintiffs. "The plaintiffs, who are primarily teachers but there are a few students will get some compensation. They are not fully compensated for their loss but that is the nature of compromised agreements."

The $650,000 settlement was paid by Westra's insurance company and not by taxpayers.

In 2002, a report found the building had not been aired properly during the construction process, creating a wet building syndrome. Chavez Elementary was refurbished and opened again in August of 2002