Capistrano Unified pauses pesticide use amid rare cancer concerns in Ladera Ranch

Capistrano Unified School District declared a 60-day moratorium on routine landscape chemicals, covering herbicides and pesticide sprays, while it reassesses the substances currently authorized for use. The decision comes amid community alarm over a cluster of rare cancers, notably nine Ewing sarcoma diagnoses in Ladera Ranch since 2007, which families suspect may be linked to decades of pesticide application. Among the affected are 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who died in March 2026, and 23-year-old Lily Dalton, who passed away in January 2026, both after prolonged battles with the disease.

The district will rely on mechanical and manual weed control during the pause and plans to present a resolution for annual herbicide reviews to its Board of Trustees. A local landscaping authority previously instituted a similar temporary halt and created an ad hoc advisory committee to evaluate its program. Additionally, a First Assistant US Attorney has requested that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin investigate potential environmental contributions and any federal law violations.