Wyandotte parents sue school, city leaders over controversial antenna
WYANDOTTE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - For months, parents and residents have expressed frustration over a 5G antenna on top of an elementary school in Wyandotte.
Parents are now taking a bold step in filing a lawsuit against T-Mobile, the city of Wyandotte, the Wyandotte City School District, and dozens of current and former city leaders.
"It'll be interesting to see how T-Mobile responds to the lawsuit. But we are prepared to move very quickly," said, Josh Castmore, a Wyandotte parent who is representing the plaintiffs.
Three parents are suing over the antenna at Washington Elementary School.
"You know unfortunately we had to go down this path, I was hoping we could avoid this path."
One parent apart of the lawsuit is Lisa Beck.
Beck says she has double the concern, with a child with cystic fibrosis that attends Washington she's also a staff member there.
"He (my son) sits less than 100 feet from that tower and we already fight to keep him alive and I can't imagine somebody turning this tower on and risking his life yet again," Beck said.
In the more than 100-page filing, parents allege that the school board did not provide sufficient information on the antenna when it was first proposed to the district in 2017.
"We didn't know as a staff, as a parent, as a community member. We had no idea until the truck showed up," Beck said.
The legality of the antenna on the property is also up for question. The lawsuit alleges that the antenna was falsely placed on the property.
"City ordinance says that cell towers need to be located in industrial zooms or in city-owned property which the school is neither," Castmore said.
Interim district Superintendent Carla Harting issued the following statement:
"Wyandotte Public Schools is aware of the recent lawsuit filed by three Wyandotte citizens against the City of Wyandotte, T-Mobile, and school district board members and personnel over the cellular tower at Washington Elementary.
"WPS has a legally-binding lease agreement with T-Mobile for the cell tower. The filing of a lawsuit represents a new chapter in the recent debate over the future of the tower. As with all litigation, this matter will be referred to school district legal counsel. The claims made in the lawsuit will be navigated in the court proceedings to follow. Despite the recent debate, WPS emphasizes and renews its commitment to serve the best interests of the school community and ensure the community's safety and wellness."
On Friday, a Wayne County judge put a temporary restraining order on the antenna, meaning it cannot be turned on until they have a court date.
All parties will be back in court at 10 a.m. on June 12.