HOUSTON — Houston ISD is facing more questions about issues with air conditioners and AEDs, or automatic defibrillators, at schools.
The Houston Federation of Teachers and parents took their concerns over the death of a Marshall Middle School student to the Houston City Council labor committee on Thursday.
Fourteen-year-old Landon Payton collapsed in the gym and died after having multiple seizures, his father told us. An autopsy is being done to determine the 8th grader's cause of death.
HFT told council members that maintenance issues could have been a contributing factor. They still have questions about whether a working AED was used to try and save Landon.
"That's what it comes down to transparency. They're not admitting that the AED at Marshall Middle School failed," said Corina Ortiz with the Houston Federation of Teachers. "They're not telling us what the situation was in the gymnasium."
HFT also shared concerns about the number of people CPR-certified across the district. We reached out to HISD to ask how many staff members are CPR-certified, who is certified to use an AED and who maintains the devices. We’re still waiting for the answers.
After questions were raised about the AC at Marshall, HISD said the temperature was 72° in the gym the day Landon died.
"You can't regulate those temperatures, especially in those old buildings of Marshall Middle School that was built in the '50s,” Ortiz said.
Teisha Mayes is one of the parents who expressed concerns about ongoing issues with air conditioning.
“The heat has read over 80° every day since school started. Not one day has gone by where the heat did not get up to over 80 degrees," Mayes said.
She said her daughter has had severe migraines due to dehydration.
“It makes me angry. It makes me really angry as a parent,” Mayes said.