At approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday morning, the third floor of the Manual Educational Complex was evacuated after students complained of coughing and dryness of throat. After returning to class, the building was then evacuated a second time when students in other parts of the building began to complain of coughing, headaches, and nausea.

Denver Fire, Denver Police, and Lewis Maintenance Co. and Gobbell Hays Partners, hazardous material consultants, were called to investigate. A total of 10 students and 7 staff members were transported to St. Joseph's and University hospitals complaining of coughing, headache, and nausea. The seven at St. Joseph's were treated and released before noon. As of 3:00 p.m., the ten remaining at St. Joseph's were being treated and expected to be released.

Meanwhile, a phone tree was set up to inform parents of the morning's events and an assembly was called in a building separate from the problem area to inform students that they would be sent home for the rest of the day. Buses were called to transport students.

Tests by Lewis Maintenance Co. and Gobbel Hays & Partners have returned inconclusive. In addition, Chief Joe Gonzales of the fire protection bureau sent the department's haz-mat unit for additional tests that also turned out inconclusive. However, both teams are still awaiting the test results for VOC or Volatile Organic Compounds, which will not be available until Sunday, at which time a final decision on opening the school will be made.

Ruling on the side of caution, all events for this afternoon and the weekend have been cancelled or moved. A testing and cleaning protocol developed by the DFD Haz-Mat unit and DPS Haz-mat consultants will be executed over the next 48 hours.

Following are changes in the Athletics schedule at Manual High School:

• Girls Swimming, East/Manual v Lincoln/Kennedy, 1/25/02, at 4:00 p.m. moved to Lincoln
  
• Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball, TJ v Montbello, 1/26/02, moved to TJ, 1:00 p.m. boys and 2:30 p.m. girls
  
• Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball, Manual v North, 1/25/02, cancelled
  
• Boys and Girls JV/C Basketball, Manual v North 1/26/02, cancelled

Note: Games cancelled will be rescheduled.