A public-interest group has added the Chicago Housing Authority and the Board of Education to lawsuits brought on behalf of children who have suffered lead poisoning after eating lead-based paint.
John Sullivan, an attorney working on behalf of the Lead Elimination Drive, said the series of lawsuits filed in recent days charge the CHA with allowing the paint to remain in two developments and a scattered-site building.
Sullivan said the suit against the Board of Education was filed on behalf of an 8-year-old girl who had elevated levels of lead in her blood before attending school.
However, he said the level nearly doubled after the girl spent a year at Kosciuszko School, 1424 N. Cleaver St.
A spokesman for the school board said a major project is under way to remove lead paint from the school.
Lead poisoning, which normally occurs when children eat paint chips or breathe lead dust, has been linked to brain damage and learning disabilities in children.
While lead poisoning can occur at an early age, experts say its effects might not necessarily show up until a child is in school.
