Father Judge Closed Tuesday for Hazmat Investigation

Dozens complain of eye irritations after attending cheerleading competition at school

Father Judge in Northeast Philadelphia will be closed Tuesday, while officials continue to investigate what caused dozens of people to seek medical treatment over the weekend.

Area hospitals reported that people started showing up with complaints of eye and skin irritations after attending a cheerleading competition at the school Sunday night.

Authorities say symptoms were similar -- swelling, redness, and itchiness.

Around 150 people had showed up at area hospitals suffering from symptoms and by Monday afternoon a handful were still hospitalized, officials said.

Most of the people were treated with eye wash and released.

About 1,000 people attended the competition, officials said.

Hazmat crews arrived at the school early Monday morning to investigate the situation. Father Judge was closed Monday, but that had been previously scheduled as a faculty in-service day.

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