L.A. UNIFIED BOARD FIRES HEALTH DIRECTOR.

Byline: Terri Hardy Daily News Staff Writer

A whistle-blowing director of environmental health was fired by Los Angeles Unified on Tuesday, but an investigation was ordered into his allegations of wide-ranging health hazards and a district cover-up.

Hamid Arabzadeh, director of environmental health and safety, alleges he was ordered to sanitize and sugarcoat reports on environmental problems, that new primary centers for the youngest pupils were being placed on contaminated land and he had been told top-level employees were on the take.

Arabzadeh told the board at a public hearing that he was often ordered not to interfere with environmental concerns.

``The public's health and safety is in danger,'' Arabzadeh said. ``I was sabotaged from Day One.''

His lawyer said they would appeal the dismissal.

After the meeting, Robert Kamm, environmental health specialist, said in an interview that he wanted to testify but could not. He declined to comment further, citing fear for his job.

On Monday, Dianne Doi, who is acting head of the division, sent out an e-mail saying last-minute vacation requests for Tuesday would not be approved and to ``please ensure your staff has assigned work.''

Another employee faxed a letter to a board member saying Doi's edict was ``an illustration of the current management style'' and he chose not to testify ``for fear of retribution.''

Rich Mason, chief legal counsel for the LAUSD, had denied publicly to board members that any employee was kept from speaking. Board members said employees would be protected.

Arabzadeh and his attorney contend that he was asked to resign the day after he told state legislators that the Los Angeles Unified School District made a mistake when it built a middle school on toxic land.

``Mr. Arabzadeh is being retaliated against for being a whistle-blower,'' said his attorney, Pamela Mozer.

But Mason stated that the district considered Arabzadeh's dismissal solely based on ``performance issues.''

``His testimony has nothing to do with this recommendation and (Arabzadeh) was informed many times that there were serious problems with his performance,'' Mason said.

Arabzadeh had asked that personnel issues be discussed in private so officials were legally barred from elaborating on performance issues.

Among the allegations presented by Arabzadeh:

Orders to sanitize information about a company employed by the district that is currently under investigation by the FBI. The report was to go to the state's Joint Legislative Audit Committee - the group that held a hearing on toxic-land problems at Jefferson Middle School in South Los Angeles.

Studies on land contaminants were not done properly at several schools.

Informal contracts, called B letters, were issued to remove contaminated soil at the Belmont Learning Center site. When the District Attorney's Office began an investigation into the contracts, the LAUSD did nothing with the soil.

Quantities of breathable asbestos above Environmental Protection Agency standards were found at Van Nuys Middle School in January 1996 but nothing was done about it.

Schools in minority areas were unfairly and more often placed on toxic sites.

Board member Barbara Boudreaux said she was impressed with Arabzadeh and said she was lied to about Jefferson Middle School.

``I was lied to and lied to,'' she said. ``This board has been kept in the dark.''

Boudreaux was the only board member to vote against his dismissal. Members David Tokofsky and Julie Korenstein abstained. Voting to dismiss were Jeff Horton, Victoria Castro, Valerie Fields and George Kiriyama.

Parents and community health activists did speak out for Arabzadeh, saying he was highly qualified and responsive to their concerns.