Retired female teacher died in freak wooden pole accident – and school district was negligent, family says

A retired female teacher was ‘violently struck’ by a 12-foot pole while walking at a local school, her family claims in a new lawsuit against the district.

Paula Budin, then 73, died when she was struck by a pole while walking on the track at Roxborough High School in Philadelphia on Dec. 5, 2024, according to a civil complaint obtained by the Daily Mail.

His sister, Joyce Siegel, filed a lawsuit last Friday in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, claiming Budin’s death was the result of negligence by the Philadelphia School District and the company hired to inspect the school’s facilities.

A witness saw Budin lying unresponsive on the grass and called 911 just after 11 a.m. on December 5, 2024. According to the complaint, paramedics arrived at the scene and found the former teacher “lying on the ground and bleeding from the back of his head.”

Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures and transported him to Temple University Hospital, but he was pronounced dead about an hour later, the complaint continues.

An autopsy later concluded that Budin’s cause of death was “multiple blunt force injuries,” and it was ruled an accident, according to the lawsuit.

Siegel’s attorneys claim that the school district removed all of the poles after Budin’s death.

In the lawsuit petition, they wrote that they examined four poles and determined that the broken pole was made in 1997.

Budin was found on the Roxborough High School track. Sister claims pole that hit her was not properly inspected

Wrongful death lawsuit claims rainwater rotted pole that allegedly killed Budin

“There is no inspection label anywhere on the pole in question indicating that the pole was never inspected and therefore not properly maintained by the School District of Philadelphia,” the lawsuit alleges.

Siegel’s attorneys argued that the base of the pole was close to a storm drain and runoff caused the pole to fail. They claimed the pole was ‘almost completely rotted’ at the site where it broke.

‘The Philadelphia School District knew or should have known about the dangerous condition of the pole because there were visible signs of its decay since 2014,’ the lawsuit states.

‘Despite this factual and/or constructive knowledge and their appreciation of the risk of catastrophic harm, the district took no corrective action and failed to warn students or community members of the risk of catastrophic harm,’ he continued.

The lawsuit also charges Parsons Corporation, which inspected Roxborough High School and the track in 2015 and released a 79-page review two years later. However, it was claimed that Parsons did not inspect the poles in question many times.

Lawyers participating in the case allegedly included images showing how close the pole was to the sewer.

The lawsuit alleges the School District of Philadelphia ‘knew or should have known of the hazardous condition of the subject pole’

District and Parsons are each charged with one count of negligence and one count of wrongful death.

Four ‘John Does’ names were also named in the case. The attorneys said they were unable to determine exactly who installed the pole or the drainage inlet.

Budin’s family is demanding damages and a jury trial. The defendants have not yet responded to the complaint.

Budin is described in the lawsuit as someone who “enjoys an active lifestyle.” Before retiring, he taught elementary school students at the Community Partnership School.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Siegel, the School District of Philadelphia, Parsons and attorneys involved in the case for comment.