Rare cancer fears grip OC community as school shuts down pesticide use

A California school district is freezing pesticide use as parents in an affluent Orange County community demand answers over a string of rare childhood cancer cases.The Capistrano Unified School District announced Wednesday that it is imposing a 60-day pause on routine landscape chemicals, including herbicides and pesticide spray applications used for weed control, while officials review the products currently approved for use.The move comes after hundreds of residents packed a Ladera Ranch community meeting, calling for answers about a reported cluster of rare cancers affecting children connected to the neighborhood.Since 2007, about nine children tied to the Ladera Ranch community have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that primarily affects children and young adults.Many families and advocates believe the official count does not capture the full scope of the crisis.Health officials have said no environmental cause has been identified.But families have pointed to years of pesticide and herbicide use throughout the sprawling master-planned community as a possible factor.The devastating illnesses have already claimed young lives.Seventeen-year-old Brody Matteson died in March 2026 after battling Ewing sarcoma for nearly two years. He was diagnosed shortly before his 16th birthday and died from treatment-related complications.His mother, Megan Matteson, has become one of the community’s most outspoken advocates for answers.Lily Dalton, 23, died in January 2026 after battling Ewing sarcoma following her college graduation.She spent significant time in Ladera Ranch with her boyfriend, and her father, Brian Dalton, has pushed for environmental testing.The concerns have also spread beyond Ewing sarcoma.Jessica Keetch said her 18-year-old daughter, Haven, who lives in the same Ladera Ranch community, lost her leg after developing synovial sarcoma, another rare cancer that affects fewer than 1,000 Americans each year.Some residents now fear the illnesses ...