Physical Altercation Reported During John Muir High School Soil Cleanup

John Muir (Photo – pasadena.edu)

Crews continued removing contaminated soil from John Muir High School on Thursday, while Pasadena Unified School District said a physical altercation occurred after individuals entered or attempted to enter a restricted remediation area.

By News Desk

PUSD said one person later was involved in a physical altercation with Pasadena City College personnel on campus. PCC operates a satellite campus at John Muir High School that offers college-credit courses. The district did not identify the person involved. Individuals with close knowledge of the incident, however, described the person as a tree preservation advocate who has raised concerns about tree removal connected to the cleanup project. The Pasadena Police Department was contacted, but no police report had been filed in connection with the incident. PUSD said students in summer programs remained safe and classes were not disrupted.

PUSD previously conducted environmental testing that found fire-related contaminants, including lead, arsenic and other substances, in soil at multiple district campuses. The district said cleanup work at John Muir High School is being conducted under the oversight of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

In a statement, PUSD said it and DTSC “are aligned in their commitment to oversee safe soil cleanup and restoration.” The district said access to restricted work zones must remain limited because of safety concerns associated with environmental remediation activities, while also stating that it supports peaceful and lawful expression.

The cleanup has also drawn community concerns over tree removal on campus. PUSD said some non-protected trees in excavation areas were removed as part of the project, but that no protected native or mature trees were removed. The district said wildlife biologists confirmed there were no active migratory bird nests before work began.

PUSD said it is reviewing affected areas individually and working to preserve as many native and mature trees as possible while completing the environmental cleanup.