Judge Rejects Some Claims In Cancer Cluster Lawsuit

A federal district judge has dismissed some of the claims in a lawsuit filed against Whirlpool Corporation by families in Clyde, Ohio whose children are among dozens sickened in a cancer cluster. The ruling allows the families to proceed with the lawsuit linking chemicals from Whirlpool's washing machine factory in Clyde to the cluster. The judge dismissed allegations of reckless conduct and fraud, along with claims the cluster hurt property values around the city. The families say they have produced studies showing the harm caused. Whirlpool says the allegations are not based on scientific or medical fact. 35 children have been diagnosed and three have died since the mid-1990s.