Statement on Incident at St. Michael's High School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
Baton Rouge, LA – This afternoon at approximately 1:40 p.m., a science teacher at St. Michael the Archangel High School became light‑headed while assisting with the organization and cleaning of the school’s chemical storage closet. The closet was being prepared for the disposal of older chemical materials, a process that had been scheduled for Monday as part of a previously planned safety and risk‑management initiative.

Following the teacher’s symptoms, school officials investigated an odor coming from the storage area. At 2:11 p.m., out of an abundance of caution, 911 was contacted and the entire campus was promptly evacuated. All students and staff were safely cleared from the building. After school activities for today were canceled, and the scheduled girls’ soccer game was relocated.

First responders quickly arrived on site and assessed the situation. The source of the odor was determined to be sulfuric acid. Currently, the situation is fully under control. No students, faculty, staff, or nearby residents are in any danger or at risk.

The firm originally scheduled to handle Monday’s disposal is currently en route to campus and will begin immediate removal of the aging chemical materials. The disposal work is being accelerated out of caution and in coordination with safety professionals.

Out of an abundance of caution, St. Michael’s has decided to temporarily shift to remote learning tomorrow. This will help ensure a safe and complete removal of the materials can be carried out by Clean Harbors. Families will be updated promptly should any further changes to the schedule become necessary.

The decision to remove older chemicals was made months ago following faculty participation in a diocesan risk‑management summit. A plan was developed to identify, catalog, and dispose of these materials properly, and today’s incident occurred while that plan was being implemented.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the East Baton Rouge Parish and City of St. George Fire Departments, emergency medical personnel, and all first responders for their swift, professional response and for ensuring the continued safety of our school community.
The Diocese of Baton Rouge and St. Michael the Archangel High School remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure learning environment for all students.

###

For additional details or questions, please contact Diocesan Communications Director, Ben Smith ([email protected]).