Brain tumors among Colonia High School graduates, staff members spark push for remote learning

COLONIA, N.J. -- There is a growing push to go back to remote learning at one New Jersey high school, but not because of COVID fears.

It's due to concerns tied to graduates or staff members with brain tumors.

Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than 115 people who spent time at the school had a rare brain tumor.

His wife and sister both got it. His sister died from it in February.

READ MORE: Former Woodbridge, N.J. resident says 65 people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School have had rare brain tumors

He's now among the many calling on the town, state and federal government to do more.

"They're the only ones with the authority to do something," Lupiano told CBS2's Kevin Rincon. "We continue receiving lip service, that we're here to help, but when we look around, they are nowhere to be found."

So far, more than 2,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding, in part, students return to remote learning.

That request was quickly shot down.

In a memo to the school community, superintendent Joseph Massimino wrote, "Remote instruction is only available in the event of an active health crisis or emergency."

In April, Woodbridge approved environmental testing at the school, but those results won't be made available until the end of June.

"We can get in there today and take air, water and soil samples and have results back the same day," Lupiano said.

And it's not just the school that could be at risk.

"I'm getting reports of whole blocks in and around the neighborhood, that they call themselves 'Cancer Alley,'" Lupiano said.

Mitesh Kapadia moved right next to Colonia High just a few years ago.

"I'm not particularly concerned because it hasn't happened in quite some time. The last case was a while ago, like 2000," Kapadia said.

He says if there is something going on, he worries about all of the people that would be impacted.

"If I was a parent with a child in the school, I'd be literally sick to my stomach thinking, is my child at risk right this second?" Lupiano said.

The discovery of the possible link between the school and the brain tumors is so new that it hasn't yet been verified by any agency, and the testing being done there is just part of the effort to figure out the true extent of the problem.