Seattle, WA – A Washington state court jury heard opening statements Wednesday on behalf of three teachers who claim they developed brain damage due to exposure to toxic chemicals manufactured by Bayer-owned Monsanto, that were present in the light fixtures and caulking of a local school.

Plaintiffs Kerry Erickson, Joyce Marquardt, and Michelle Leahy all worked at the Sky Valley Educational Center, in a decades-old facility, where they claim to have suffered serious neurological injuries from prolonged exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCBs, from 2011 to 2015.

Before being banned in the 1970’s, PCBs were used for a wide range of industrial purposes, from fire insulation to food packaging, and also in older fluorescent lights and building caulk.

Agrochemical giant Monsanto was the sole US manufacturer of PCB’s, which the Environmental Protection Agency now considers dangerous toxic carcinogens.