School ‘poison’ suit by teacher

The city’s lead-poison problem isn’t just in the housing projects.

An Upper West Side kindergarten teacher is suing the Department of Education, saying she grew seriously ill after drinking from the classroom faucet for eight years.

PS 87 William T. Sherman School teacher Rachel Genicoff learned in February the building’s water had elevated lead levels of over 15 parts per billion, according to her new Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.

A few weeks later, Genicoff, 36, got a bone scan that revealed she had lead-concentration levels more than 2.5 times the average adult, the suit says. Genicoff “regularly drank from the coldwater faucet and the water fountain,” in her classroom from 2007 through 2014 and then when she returned to the school last year, according to court papers.

“She was slowly lead-poisoned for years and years without knowing it,” said Genicoff ’s attorney Evan Torgan, who said she has kidney necrosis, joint pain, heart palpitations and fatigue.

The 12-year veteran teacher is suing for unspecified damages. She still works at the school on modified duty because of her illness, Torgan said.

A DOE spokesman said, “Water in New York City schools is safe to drink. It meets or exceeds all state and federal health and safety guidelines and there is no known case of lead poisoning due to drinking water in schools.”

Only two fixtures at Genicoff ’s school showed elevated levels and were fixed last year, the spokesman said.