WYANDOTTE, Mich., March 24, 2023 – Over the course of several weeks, there has been increased concern over a 5G cell phone tower placed adjacent to Washington Elementary School in the Wyandotte Public Schools district. T-Mobile, owner and operator of the cell phone tower, solidified a contract in 2018 with Wyandotte Public Schools to construct and place the tower at the elementary school in order to increase network reliability in the area. Since construction of this tower has been completed recently, community members have reached out to the school district and local officials to express concerns and frustration with the placement for the potential health and safety risks to both students and staff. In response to the ongoing situation, state Rep. Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte) and state Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) have issued the following joint statement:
“We understand that families and school staff are feeling uncomfortable with the placement of this cell phone tower near the school. While we know this was a decision made by a previous school board, it’s important that school officials, community members and T-Mobile can effectively collaborate going forward to increase transparency around this project and supply any research or data collected indicating that it poses no known risks to health and safety.
Wyandotte Public Schools has stated their contract with T-Mobile would cost millions to the district since the construction of the tower has now been completed, according to legal counsel.
“Going into a contract like this with a large business entity, without any kind of guardrails or clauses to mitigate the effects of breaking such a contract, should have been more carefully planned out beforehand. When conflicts like this arise, public schools need to have the ability to switch gears without any repercussions to their finances.
“Our offices hope that the school district and community can come together on this issue to understand the fears and frustrations of students, families and community members, while also providing validated public health information.”