To the editor:
The Modular Building Institute requests a correction to the errors and misstated comments in the article "Modular flaws went undetected," appearing in the March 17 issue of Greenwich Time. As the spokesman for the industry, I provided impartial facts concerning the "process" regarding approval of modular classrooms, but did not make any specific comments regarding the Connecticut school situation. To prevent my comments from being misrepresented again, I'd like to offer the following:
Mold does not discriminate regarding which type of classroom it chooses to grow in. It can and does occur in traditional classrooms as well as modular classrooms. In fact, the reason temporary classrooms were placed in this school district in the first place was due to mold found in the original school building.
Your representation that I stated or implied this situation was due to any design or construction flaw is 100 percent false and has been printed despite my objections.
We have stated on the record that there are many parties involved in the classroom construction process, from architects to engineers to inspectors to maintenance personnel. All the facts must be obtained before any conclusions are drawn in this situation.
In short, the entire article is misleading and inaccurate. When your writer contacted me with quotes she planned to use for this story, I replied to her in writing that same day that the "quotes" were misleading and that I had no knowledge of the specifics of this situation and couldn't comment on it. She chose to ignore my concerns and build her entire story around misrepresentations. The managing editor told me himself today that he supports the writer's "rephrasing" of my comments. In my opinion, this is a really sad commentary on the state of journalism.
How can a newspaper stand behind an article taken primarily from one source when that source notifies you ahead of time that what is going to press is inaccurate? Your readers should know the full story.
Our non-profit association will continue to provide schools and parents with information they can use to ensure that their children are in safe, comfortable learning environments, and we ask that your readers visit our Web site to get accurate and complete information.
Tom Hardiman
Charlottesville, Va.
The writer is executive director of the Modular Building Institute.
(Editor's note: Greenwich Time stands behind the accuracy of the story.)
See Also:
03/17/08 - "It's not just one classroom, it's the whole school," Tom Hardman of the Modular Building Institute said, "It's a bad situation all around.
03/20/08 - Why Won't Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg Let Hamilton Avenue Parents Independently Test The Contaminated Modular Classrooms?
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