KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Liberty parents are exercising caution as they express concerns about a possible cancer cluster at Warren Hills Elementary School.
Chad Bosley's two daughters attend Warren Hills Elementary. They became concerned after the teacher of one their daughters died following a cancer diagnosis.
“What happens if you wait too long, or if it is too late?" Bosley said. "What's going to happen years from now when things happen and more people are affected? As a parent, the primary concern is to take care of your kids and make sure that they're safe.”
KSHB 41 filed a broad records request to obtain information about cancer cases at the school. Included in the information we received from our request was a request from the Clay County Public Health Center to the Missouri Cancer Inquiry Committee asking for advice.
The document indicates the teacher's diagnosis was not an isolated case.
The Clay County Public Health Center states there have been seven breast cancer cases, one cervical cancer case, one brain cancer case, and one throat cancer case among its staff.
“It's very concerning,” said Bosley.
The Clay County Public Health Center emphasized in a cancer cluster inquiry document that "the breast cancer rate at Warren Hills Elementary School is no higher than expected for the community."
The document reinforced a statement the center made in 2022 when concerns were first raised.
Bosley is not the only concerned parent.
The records requested show that many parents reached out to the school with their concerns.
Some parents instructed their children not to drink water from the school.
Parents also expressed concerns in the records about the school’s reputation, stating it is “inevitably causing turnover in staff, teachers, and administrators, as well as concerns about lowering property values."
“I trust my school district to do their due diligence to protect my family,” wrote one parent. “My son loves Warren Hills and wants to continue his elementary education with his community of teachers and friends.”
Those concerns led Bosley to make a decision about whether his children would continue attending Warren Hills.
“They will not be back,” he said.
Some parents attempted to transfer their children, but had their requests denied.
“I no longer feel comfortable with my children attending that location,” wrote one mother.
However, parents' concerns are not new.
In a document obtained by KSHB 41, a parent wrote in November 2022 she felt like we have an unusually high number of breast cancer cases among the staff at our school.
The district conducted multiple tests at that time and no major concerns were found.
The Liberty School District conducted tests in the past year. Results can be found in a portal created by the district as part of their transparency efforts.
While these tests didn't show any major issues, parents still have lingering concerns.
In 2022, a Clay County Public Health Center document stated there was “no evidence to suggest that the breast cancer rate at Warren Hills is higher than expected.”
In January 2025, CCPHC reiterated they “maintain the position that the breast cancer rate at Warren Hills Elementary School is no higher than expected for the community.”
“What if there's nothing to it and it's just a coincidence?” said Bosley. “But to me, it's about your kids… are you ever ridiculous?”
The Liberty Public School District declined an interview request but sent a statement regarding the matter:
“Liberty Public Schools is committed to providing safe and healthy learning environments at all of our schools and facilities. Specifically regarding Warren Hills Elementary, our team has been in close contact with the Clay County Public Health Center, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Children's Mercy Environmental Health, and the Missouri Cancer Registry as we have responded to specific health and environmental concerns expressed by Warren Hills staff. We are thankful for their expertise and partnerships and will continue to work with them as we move forward. Their work has been, and will continue to be, essential in leading and guiding us. In following the guidance and determinations made by the health agencies listed above, we have been assured that the school is safe for the Warren Hills community. Having said this, we fully recognize that this school community has had questions related to this, and it is of the utmost importance to us to support them with information and resources. Throughout this process, our focus has been on the well-being of our staff and students as we have worked to provide support to the Warren Hills school community. An account of all the work completed to date has been published and made available on the Warren Hills school website, which is updated regularly. We will continue to remain engaged with the staff, families, and school community, providing updates as necessary.”
On Wednesday, there will be a Missouri Cancer Inquiry Advisory Committee meeting.
Last month, Congressman Sam Graves reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to review a “concerning number” of cancer cases in the school.
KSHB also requested interviews with CCPHC and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, but did not hear back from them.
