The parents of children exposed to dangerously high levels of chemicals at a commercial pool have filed a lawsuit against the venue.

Operators of the Glen Oaks County Club, in Louisville, Kentucky, have been accused of negligence for the May 31, 2022, chemical exposure incident that landed eight children and one adult in the hospital.

The lawsuit filed by the families of the children states that the incident occurred during a 6 and under swim practice at the club, when they were exposed to dangerous levels of chlorine and hydrochloric acid. It claims that as a result, all of the children suffered physical, mental, and emotional distress.

After the exposure, children began having difficulty breathing, coughing, and foaming at the mouth as the coach screamed for them to exit the pool, the suit states. After leaving the pool, numerous children began vomiting.

The lawsuit states that no lifeguard was present during the practice, and the country club was aware that a practice had been scheduled for that time.

Following testing by the health department, chlorine levels were 6.5 ppm, a level deemed excessive in Kentucky, where it should be between 1 and 5 ppm, according to state regulations.

Attorney’s representing the families are seeking punitive damages for the incident, which they say was caused by negligence, as well as a trial by jury, and “any other relief the court may deem appropriate.”

Glen Oaks Country Club Pool, Louisville, KY