Teacher's Breathing Difficulties Likely the Result of Psychosis, Not Asbestos Exposure, Court Holds

NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana appeals court has upheld a finding by the state's workers' compensation office that a teacher's alleged respiratory problems are more likely the result of an emotional disorder than her alleged exposure to asbestos-containing floor tile. Williams v. Orleans Parish School Board, No. 2001-CA-0668 (La. Ct. App., Fourth Cir.).

Louisiana's Fourth District Court of Appeal held April 17 that absent the teacher's own testimony that she suffered from an asbestos-related condition, there was no independent corroboration for claims that the alleged ailments were caused by her work environment.

In 1999, Elaine Williams sued the Orleans Parish …