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Marseille Parents, Teachers and Unions File Complaint Over Asbestos in Schools

They accuse local authorities of breaching legal duties on asbestos information, containment, worker protection.

Overview

  • The filing to the Pôle santé publique of the Marseille judicial tribunal alleges “deliberate endangerment of others,” with submission scheduled for 14:00 local time.
  • About 50 parents, teachers and municipal staff are joined by seven unions and three asbestos victims’ associations as co-plaintiffs.
  • The case concerns around a dozen establishments — eight primary schools, two middle schools and one high school — mostly in Marseille’s Bouches-du-Rhône department.
  • Plaintiffs cite failures including missing asbestos disclosure and insufficient protections during renovation work despite regulatory requirements.
  • The complaint references a colleague’s asbestos-related death recognized in April 2024 as an occupational disease, while unions warn that over 80% of French school buildings may contain asbestos and health authorities project tens of thousands of future cancer deaths.