I want to express my profound gratitude to the parents, students, staff, and all stakeholders of the Syracuse Academy of Science High School for their unwavering support during this challenging time. We have been serving in this building since 2005.
On January 7th, 2025, we faced a heartbreaking incident at our school, which resulted in the loss of Mr. Brian Deforge, a dedicated member of our night cleaning staff. Mr. Deforge was discovered unresponsive in the school cafeteria in the early morning hours of January 7th. While responding to the unresponsive person call, the City Fire Department’s paramedics detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the kitchen area, which was traced back to a malfunctioning food warmer. The food warmer was immediately removed. The food warmer had been turned off on the afternoon of January 6th and was not in operation that afternoon or evening. It was not turned on again until the morning of January 7th, when Mr. Deforge was found unresponsive. The cause of his death remains unclear, and we await the results of the Medical Examiner’s autopsy and related tests.
Mr. Deforge performed his services on the School’s third floor, which was protected by smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that were in good working order on the afternoon and evening of January 6th and did not sound an alarm. He appears to have been trying to exit the building through a cafeteria exit when he collapsed. The cafeteria is located in addition to the school building, which is connected to the main building by a breeze-way when he became incapacitated.
We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Deforge’s family, friends, and colleagues. He was a valued part of our team, and his passing is a loss to our School family and community.
Although this matter remains the subject of an ongoing investigation, it appears to us that Mr. Deforge’s death and the elevated levels of carbon monoxide from the food warmer on the morning of January 7th are unrelated. We have no information to suggest that there were elevated levels of carbon monoxide anywhere in the building other than the kitchen and cafeteria area at any time other than the morning of January 7th.
As with any public school, SAS High School is subject to various mandated inspections, including annual and monthly fire safety inspections. The latest annual and monthly fire safety inspections conducted prior to January 6th did not identify any issues in the SAS High School building.
In response to this incident, and with the guidance of the City’s Codes office and Fire Department, the Syracuse Academy of Science has undertaken the following three corrective actions to ensure the safety and security of all students and staff by working with local contractors, code enforcement, and fire safety officials to ensure all equipment and safety devices met or exceeded safety standards:
- Hardwired and monitored carbon monoxide detectors have been installed throughout the school to provide comprehensive coverage and immediate alerts. Additionally, personal carbon monoxide detectors have now been provided to all relevant staff members as an additional precaution.
- Existing fire alarm systems have been re-inspected and certified to confirm that they are functioning properly.
- Existing kitchen appliances and systems have been re-inspected and certified to ensure proper installation, venting, and operation.
Furthermore, we assure the community that no safety devices were altered or removed prior to January 7th, except a carbon monoxide detector on the second floor of the main building, which was continually emitting a low battery signal, despite having its batteries replaced twice in a 2-3 week period, and required replacement. This device was replaced on January 8th. This detector was located on the second floor of the main building, while the carbon monoxide detection occurred in the cafeteria, which is located on the ground level of the adjacent building.
As we await the official cause of Mr. Deforge’s death, I want to emphasize that we remain fully committed to transparency and the safety of our students, staff, and visitors. We have kept our School community informed through robocalls, emails, text messages, and even facility tours to address any concerns.
We are dedicated to continuously enhancing our safety protocols and adhering strictly to all regulatory safety inspections. Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our highest priority. We deeply appreciate the continued support and cooperation from our community, the Fire Department, and the Division of Code Enforcement as we strengthen our safety measures.
Dr. Tolga Hayali
SANY Superintendent
