WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — More than 100 West Palm Beach Police Officer’s have filed injury claims related to mold found in the police station, according to an attorney for the police officers' union.
According to records WPTV obtained from a public records request, around 41 different areas of the West Palm Beach Police Headquarters building need mold or malodor remediation. The mold was found throughout all three floors and the building’s basement, including multiple senior command staff offices and hallways across the building.
WATCH: Union urges city to acknowledge injury claims due to mold
Documents WPTV received show a survey conducted by the union, Fraternal Order of Police for West Palm Beach, said the most common symptoms officers reported are respiratory and pulmonary issues like chronic cough, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, chest tightness and asthma-like symptoms.
The survey also said other main symptoms included cognitive complaints, skin issues and other general health complaints like fatigue. The survey said some officers reported serious health conditions due to mold in the police station like strokes, autoimmune conditions, hypertension, blood disease and cardiovascular problems.
Geoff Bichler, attorney for the police union, said these types of complaints aren’t uncommon when a police station tests positive for mold. He said the number of complaints, which he estimates is around a third of budgeted positions for sworn officers, occurs when problems are more long standing.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mold or foul odors found in 41 areas of West Palm Beach police station
“If it’s a chronic situation where a building is sick and people have been working in that environment for a very long time, then it is not unusual to see large numbers of people who are complaining about physiological effects,” Bichler said.
When WPTV obtained the records back in August, Union President Adam Myers told WPTV’s Ethan Stein that employees long suspected the police station had a mold problem.
“It confirms our suspicions,” Myers said in August. “Employees for years have been concerned about the condition of the building.”
He applauded Chief Tony Araujo's decision at the time to bring in a third party to test the building for mold. However, new documents show Myers is upset the city hasn’t responded to any officers filing the injury claim paperwork called “First Reports of Injury/Exposure”.
“Despite the volume of reports submitted, employees have yet to receive any known response from the city,” Myers wrote in a letter dated Oct. 2, 2025. “This lack of acknowledgment or follow-up is unacceptable… These employees deserve immediate medical evaluation, proper treatment, and the assurance that their health and safety are being prioritized by their employer.”
Bichler said the acknowledgment is essential because it’s the first step in getting benefits for work-related injuries. He said the city can then provide benefits, evaluate and investigate or deny a claim after it’s filed and acknowledged by the city. But, without the acknowledgment, the process can’t get started.
“What you have here is something that is really unusual in my experience,” Bichler said. “Because the reports of injury are made, there’s no official acknowledgment of it and nothing has been done.”
Seeking answers, WPTV reached out to the city of West Palm Beach. The city declined to make somebody available and sent us a written statement, saying as of Monday it acknowledged all injury claims from West Palm Beach Police Department.
Kat Joy, a spokesperson for the city of West Palm Beach, said the building is safe while it spends $6 million to address long-standing maintenance issues, critical upgrades and extending the life of the building. She also said all officers have the opportunity to seek medical treatment for their injuries.
“Every individual who files a Report of Injury has the option to seek medical treatment, and the city remains committed to ensuring their health and safety throughout this process,” said Joy.
Bichler described that statement as a dodge. He said everybody has the right to see a doctor, but the issue is if the city should pay for the evaluation.
“It sounds very flip,” Bichler said. “Like, ‘Oh yeah, you can go see a doctor,’ fine. Well, the city is supposed to pay for the doctor. That’s the point. If you’re injured on the job or if you become sick because of something that happens to you that is work-related, it is the employer's obligation to apply medical care for that condition. That’s really the crux of the matter here.”
He said he was prepared to sue West Palm Beach over the dispute if necessary.
