WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County employees working in a downtown West Palm Beach office building say mold has been growing for months — and question whether their employer is doing enough to fix it.
Workers in the building along Third Street, which houses the Palm Beach County State Attorney's and Public Defender's offices, shared photos and videos showing water stains, spores and what appears to be black mold around a stairway and elevator.
All of the employees who spoke with WPTV chief investigator Jamie Ostroff declined to go on camera, saying they were worried about consequences at work. But many said they were concerned about their own health or the health of others who work in the building.
One employee purchased a mold test kit online in late June. The results they shared with me revealed multiple potentially toxic forms of mold.
Records obtained from the county in response to Ostroff's public records request show complaints started in the summer of 2025, with employees emailing about "mold on the stairwell doors and walls" and "railings (that) are sweating and slick." The county sent a cleaning crew, which appeared to resolve the issue — until May of this year.
Emails show employees once again raised concerns about excessive humidity in the stairwells and elevator. Records detail the steps the county took in the weeks that followed: daily cleanings, moisture remediation, a new supply fan on order to improve air circulation, and signs marking the affected stairwell for emergency egress only.
In a memo sent to employees in late June — more than a month after the issue was reported — the county Facilities Development and Operations Department blamed the conditions on "the original 1990 building design and the way the elevator shaft, elevator cabs, and adjacent areas interact with outside air."
Employees pushed back on that explanation.
"Many of us have been in the building for over 25 years, and this issue just arose within the last 12 months," the executive director for the State Attorney's Office replied.
The county pointed to excessive heat in recent years as a contributing factor.
Employees began reaching out to WPTV with complaints in July. As of early September, those conditions have not changed, according to workers. One employee shared a doctor's note with me recommending they work from a different location to ease symptoms.
The county responded to questions, saying a third-party assessment will be conducted on Sept. 21 — after the new supply fan is installed — and that an employee meeting is planned to discuss the issue at the end of the month.
Ostroff also asked the State Attorney's and Public Defender's offices whether employees with health concerns could be accommodated until the mold problem is resolved. The State Attorney's Office said it is making accommodations, moving some staff to satellite offices. The Public Defender said his staff is monitoring conditions daily and will accommodate employees as needed.
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