Older Milwaukee homes at higher risk for lead exposure
Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin often found in older Milwaukee homes painted with lead-based paint or lead pipes. Children are especially vulnerable.
Lou Saldivar, Wochit
- Sean Kane, the facilities director for Milwaukee Public Schools, was recently reprimanded for misrepresenting himself as a registered architect.
- Kane agreed to pay a fine to maintain his license, claiming he was unaware of its expiration, but acknowledged his responsibility to keep his registration current.
- MPS has faced criticism for its handling of lead paint hazards, with numerous schools identified as having dangerous conditions and several temporarily closed.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Sean Kane, who has served as the senior director of Facilities and Maintenance Services for Milwaukee Public Schools since 2021, is out of his job, newly appointed superintendent Brenda Cassellius said Thursday.
At a press conference, Cassellius said Kane was “separating from the district” as MPS crews and contractors address recently discovered lead hazards throughout the schools.
“I know that we are going to need a strong, collaborative leadership model and team to address the complex nature of this issue before us, and that includes our facility department,” Cassellius said.
MPS brings in health department official to help
While searching for a replacement for Kane, Cassellius said the district is bringing on Michael Mannan, the director of home environmental health for the Milwaukee Health Department, to support lead hazard remediation, guide inspections and advise the district on its lead action plan.
Mannan was “instrumental” in rebuilding the Health Department’s lead program following its own failures in 2018, making him “uniquely situated to walk MPS into this next era of stabilizing the buildings and ensuring this doesn’t happen again in 10 or 15 years,” Milwaukee Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis said.
Cassellius also said she had asked former district employee Michael Turza to help lead the facilities department on a temporary basis. His employment term is six months.
“For our students to succeed, they must be free to learn, grow and thrive in the buildings that they deserve, that are safe, healthy and welcoming,” she said. “That must be our baseline. Today brings us one step closer to that goal.”
State reprimanded Kane for misrepresentation
The move comes amid a cascade of revelations about the district’s mishandling of lead-based paint, topped off this week by a state reprimand against Kane for misrepresenting himself as a registered architect years after his credentials lapsed.
Cassellius didn’t address why Kane was out of his job or specify whether he was terminated. Totoraitis called the move “warranted.”
“I never want to see anybody lose their job or their role,” he said. “However, I do think at this moment, it was warranted to help move us into this next step.”
Reached Thursday morning, Kane said his employment with the district was “still in discussion.” Asked if he had been terminated, he said he didn’t know and directed questions to MPS administrators.
Some community groups had been calling on Kane to resign, given the extent of lead hazards recently discovered in multiple schools and the district’s dangerous mishandling of lead cleanup work.
Then on Tuesday, state officials published findings that Kane had violated state law by representing himself as a registered architect while his license was expired, using the initials “R.A.” in his email signature and on business cards. MPS policy for the job requires credentials as an architect or engineer.
Kane was appointed as senior director of Facilities and Maintenance Services by former superintendent Keith Posley in October 2021, even though his architect license had expired in 2020. He renewed his license last July, days after state officials received a complaint about him lacking an active license.
Following an investigation by the state’s Department of Safety and Professional Services, Kane signed an agreement with state officials in February that was made public Tuesday when it was approved by the state’s examining board of architects. Under the agreement, Kane can keep his license as long as he pays a $1,319 fine.
Kane told state officials he hadn’t realized his license had expired. State officials found Kane had, in fact, complied with continuing education requirements, but couldn’t find evidence he had paid renewal fees. Under the agreement, Kane acknowledged it had been his responsibility to ensure his registration remained active and that he conveyed accurate information to his employer.
Communications officials for Milwaukee Public Schools haven’t answered questions about how Kane got the job without an active license.
On Thursday, Cassellius said she couldn’t speak to how Kane was able to work for the district for years without a valid license but said the district would be improving its processes moving forward.
In a statement Tuesday, newly formed parent group Lead-Safe Schools MKE said Kane should have been “sounding the alarm on the state of MPS’ facilities” and demanding that state lawmakers provide more funding to keep up with maintenance.
How did MPS get here?
Over the last three decades, MPS has cut most of its painting staff, stopped providing regular “painting days” and shifted painting costs onto individual schools. When a job needs doing, it often doesn’t happen right away. MPS estimated about a quarter of paint-related work orders placed in the last year haven’t been completed.
MPS has about 125 schools that were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. The district assumes they all have lead-based paint. It’s considered safe as long as it’s contained. When it starts peeling, cracking or chalking, it can pose a hazard to children who might ingest or inhale it.
Since early January, when a case of lead poisoning lead health investigators to find flaking lead-based paint in a school bathroom, health officials have raised alarms about paint conditions in another six schools and ordered four of them to temporarily close. MPS has plans for a contractor to look for lead hazards in an additional 52 of its oldest schools by mid-May.
Totoraitis said Kane had prevented Health Department officials from going into Golda Meir Lower Campus, the first school where lead hazards were identified, over a weekend. Kane did not disclose that the district was doing work in the school until the following Monday.
That delayed the department’s entry into the school to do a full lead risk assessment and, in turn, its ability to investigate other schools, he said. The situation left Totoraitis frustrated, given that the department had staff ready to work that weekend.
At this point, he said, he was grateful to the district and Cassellius for bringing in Mannan and additional support to “help them move into this next chapter.”
The district has submitted a lead action plan to the Health Department, which Totoraitis called a “good starting point.” Health Department officials have offered revisions and are also suggesting more screening of students for lead poisoning.
How to report lead hazards and get tested
If you are concerned about lead hazards at your school or in your own home, you can report your concerns to the Milwaukee Health Department through its online form.
To get your child screened for lead poisoning, find information on upcoming clinics at mpsmke.com/mpsleadreport.
Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane.
Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.