Dr. Lumley (dale_lumley@butler.k12.pa.us):

On Monday, January 23, 2017 at the Butler Area School District board meeting we learned the truth - that you have known about the dangerously high lead levels in our childrens' school water since September 27, 2016, and did not inform parents until January 20, 2017.

We were told that the one high copper level reading from August 2016 wasn't a concern, while today we learned that the copper levels drawn on January 20, 2017 are extremely high in some samples.  Unfortunately, because there was never a followup to the August testing until now, we are left to guess that what they've been drinking is somewhere between "probably pretty low copper in the water" to "dangerously high copper in the water".  No parent wants to play that guessing game.

You said at Monday's meeting that you knew there were high lead levels but you “didn’t know what that meant".  You then let them drink that water for another 4 months, without bothering to find out what "high lead levels" meant.  Dr. Lumley, that is just not acceptable.

We demand that:

• Because you knew of the high lead and copper levels in September (perhaps in August) and did nothing. 

• Because the Board members pushed you after September and you ignored their concerns.

• Because it took a Board member filing a Right-to-know request and blowing the whistle for you to do anything.  How long would you have let them continue to drink it had he not filed that?

• Because we can't have those five months back that you allowed our children to drink water with dangerously high levels of lead and copper.

• Because for 118 days you chose to poison our children and faculty members, by ignoring these high levels.  God willing these children and faculty are healthy with no permanent damage, but you had no way of knowing what would happen to them when you rolled those dice for 4 or 5 months while sweeping it under the rug.  You put them at risk.  That is unacceptable.

• Because even though you have suspended and plan to fire the water operator, Mr. Glenn Terwilliger, we are fully aware that Mr. Terwilliger is not the only person to blame for this.  You were his direct supervisor.  The responsibility ultimately belongs to you.

• Because our trust in you to protect our children has been irreparably and irretrievably broken.

WE ASK THAT YOU, DR. DALE LUMLEY, IMMEDIATELY STEP DOWN FROM YOUR POSITION AND ALLOW US TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING TRUST IN THE BUTLER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT.