A Philadelphia school district faces a wrongful death lawsuit after a 45-foot wooden utility pole collapsed and killed a retired teacher walking on a public track, with the family alleging officials ignored visible decay for over a decade.
Fatal Accident at Roxborough High
Paula Budin, 73, died from blunt force trauma on December 5, 2024, when a utility pole snapped at its base and struck her while she walked at Roxborough High School’s athletic complex. A passerby discovered her bleeding and unresponsive on the ground near the track on Pechin Street. Emergency responders could not revive the retired educator, who had taught at Germantown Academy and Community Partnership School before enjoying an active retirement near her family.
Retired Philadelphia teacher, 73, crushed to death by rotting pole on high school field, lawsuit claims https://t.co/ytzrXlAeP0 pic.twitter.com/9U8Avywrnk
— New York Post (@nypost) July 23, 2026
The lawsuit filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court this week accuses the school district and Parsons Corporation of negligence. According to court documents, the pole showed visible signs of rot and decay dating back to 2014, yet officials took no action to repair or remove the hazard. The district removed three other poles from the property after Budin’s death.
Deterioration Went Unaddressed for Years
Inspection by both parties’ legal experts revealed the fallen pole had no inspection tags, indicating no maintenance checks occurred before the accident. The pole stood buried in grass near a debris-filled storm drain on a slope, where standing water could not drain properly. This water exposure caused severe deterioration at the pole’s base, while three other poles positioned away from drains showed no similar damage or decay.
Parsons Corporation, hired by the district in 2015 to assess all facilities and athletic complexes, inspected the Roxborough fields multiple times but never examined the utility poles. The lawsuit claims Parsons should have recognized the inspection duty and noted the discoloration and visible rot at the pole’s base, which must have developed over a significant period.
Systemic Maintenance Failures
The Philadelphia School District operates over 300 buildings and athletic complexes, and has struggled with adequate facility maintenance due to chronic underfunding. The lawsuit argues officials knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and the catastrophic harm risk, yet failed to warn students or community members who use the public track. Both the school district and Parsons Corporation declined to comment on the pending litigation. Budin’s estate seeks damages on behalf of her two sisters, two nephews, and niece.