"We've got a big campus and 7,000 rooms, so we've got a lot" of work. Copyright 2023, Thomson Reuters. Unfortunately, theyknow they have a problem. Firms, theories of liability for toxic mold injuries, Baxter Healthcare Corp. North Cove Plant, North Carolina, attorney who specializes in toxic mold litigation, Notice for Breach of Construction Contract. Anyone can read what you share. Millikensaid the university eventually moved them to a temporary room in McAlister Hall. Or they had preexisting allergies that fired up when they moved to a new place. She had an ear infection, caused by black mold spores. Others suggested mold was more widespread. Brian E. Clark, a Brown spokesman, said that while there may be isolated issues with dorm rooms, they did not indicate a widespread problem at the university. The place is awful now, a student in Clemson Universitys Lightsey Bridge complex told school officials in October 2021. I understand many dorms are loaded with mold (one college had to house students on a cruise ship while they were cleaning out the mold in the dorms). By submitting your email, you agree to College Confidential's. Not only can you speak with disability coordinators (and other officials) in person, but also you can talk directly to students about mold and other health concerns in their dorm rooms. keys to navigate, use enter to select, Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. Blaschke and her roommate used their suite-mates door to avoid walking under the fungi. Among the findings: The University of South Carolina has no system in place to efficiently track mold-related complaints. | Terms of Use| Privacy Policy. He said crews deploy with bags full of gear, including meters that measure moisture in the air, and a thermal imaging camera that can detect moisture hidden behind wall. "There was a lot of interest." of measuring techniques to determine if there are other problem areas and what the contamination level is in the dorm. They need to get out as soon as they can. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. Putting up with dinginess is a rite of passage for many college students. After the meeting, staffers had him pose for a photo. According to the CDC, mold can affect people in various ways. Sam Watson, the universitys spokesman, said the school could not discuss Carr's death, but he noted that no one from Carr's suite had lodged any complaints about mold. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He also apologized. Students were housed in other dorms during that time. Want to contact your legislators about an issue that matters to you? Some institutions downplay mold. Theres definitely a relationship there., She and other university officials also acknowledged that their computer systems dont readily track mold complaints. cleaning. She said the school had taken many steps to keep residence halls clean, including hiring a contractor to treat air units and bathroom vents in every residence-hall room. Neither residence hall was used during the 2019-2020 school years while renovations were made. In interviews and exchanges with dozens of students across the country, heating and cooling issues were the most frequent complaints. Morris College faces a $55 million lawsuit from a group of students over a mold infestation in campus dorms, according to multiple news reports. Above all, you should gauge how forthcoming, sympathetic, and cooperative the college personnel you contacted appeared to be. South Carolina college students faced at least 2,400 possible cases of mold in their dorms during the past two years, living spaces that make students sick. Wipe up any water spills immediately. All rights reserved. Consider what happened at Lander University, a college of 3,800 students in Greenwood. The first was in the 1960s and 1970s, when Baby Boomers enrolled in record numbers. Marylands College of St. Mary had to relocate 239 students after mold was found in two dorms. So if the plaintiff has a fairly strong case and proof of toxic mold infestation, but with a sliver of doubt as to the causation of the illnesses, the base settlement amount (calculated as if there were a 100 percent chance of succeeding at trial) may be discounted by 30 percent or so. Officials at other schools said some students get overly anxious about a bit of mold on a shower, a normal occurrence in a bathroom, and especially in sweatbox states in the South. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Broward County Courthouse, Florida (2013) -- Former Florida prosecutor Stefanie Krathen Ginnis, who claimed that mold exposure at the Broward County Courthouse caused severe sinus problems, received a $166,500 settlement from the county (19 current and former county employees have filed suit for mold-related illnesses). She transferred to Wichita State the next year. About a month later, I started getting really, really terrible pains in my ears, said Ms. Cuccia, 19. Michael McRobbie, IU President, announced the proposal in 2018. 148 Williman Street Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap. Its oldest structure dates back to 1778. Mold is a real concern that families and students have, added Stephen Harrison, vice president of auxiliary enterprises at Coastal Carolina. The college discovered mold in the HVAC system, ceilings, caulking, and bathrooms. I would, Winter Break is an awesome break from schoolwork and classes. An internal USC publication previously dubbed him the "mold detective." Meghan Hartman, Oct. 11, 2022 | 4. Keep air conditioners in good working condition. Damages often include medical costs, related losses (such as time off work to recover from injury), and the cost of cleanup and structural restoration. Then, one day she felt her throat closing up. And then, so did a mushroom, she said. Even before college, Rice knew she was sensitive to mold based on earlier tests by her allergist. Or they may have pre-existing allergies that get worse because theyve moved to a new environment. Guthries and Rices experiences werent outliers, the Uncovered collaboration found. A giant dehumidifier that sounds like a vacuum cleaner was placed in the hallway outside Megan. But they also said many mold cases were the product of students own slovenly habits. This inefficient system makes it more difficult for the state's largest higher education institution to pinpoint mold-prone dorms. They have set up Facebook pages and Instagram profiles to vent about or make light of campus issues large and small. Your information is confidential and will only be shared with your permission. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! By the end of the month, the university's facilities staff had. address. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. The lawsuit argues the university knew of mold growing in the dormitory before students moved in but alleges the university "directed maintenance workers to conceal the health threat by painting . For alumni giving at universities, you want something attractive, new, something you can put your name on, said Anthony Lyons, a commissioning engineer with experience on university projects who now works in building code compliance. And the way housing handled it was abhorrent., Amid this backdrop, officials in charge of residence halls have their own headaches a massive maintenance backlog that an industry journal recently described as a slow lurch toward crisis.. He eventually graduated early, but his roommate left school altogether amid the chaos. The problem has been identified as mold. If that is the case, clean any areas of mold or mildew promptly, Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. Indiana Public Media is the home of WFIU Public Radio WTIU Public Television, including your favorite programming from NPR and PBS. They said they were forced to focus on reactive maintenance, fixing problems as they came up, rather than creating and following a comprehensive maintenance plan. This includes the volume of mold spores present, mold species, mycotoxins . Adenovirus outbreak claims its 11th victim at a pediatric care center in Wanaque, New Jersey. More prevalent than you might think. Like older homes, older dorms may be more prone to problems that can lead to the growth of mold, like leaky roofs, windows and plumbing. A judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging an Indiana university breached its contract by provided substandard living assignments to thousands of students staying in residential halls where mold was found. ncary@postandcourier.com But it seems to me that the problem is prevalent enough that your son could land in a moldy dorm room almostanywhere, despite the precautions youre taking now. In complaint after complaint, students said moldy dorms triggered asthma attacks and allergies, a new Post and Courier-led Uncovered investigation found. To address concerns about the breakout of mold on students academic performance, faculty were instructed to make accommodations, particularly in regard to assignments and exams. She landed in USCs Thornhill dorm, a residence hall that has had just a few mold complaints. READ MORE: Judge Allows Most Of IU Mold Lawsuit To Move Forward. Over the past two years, universities logged at least 2,400 mold-related cases, with USCs 840 reports leading the pack. Even relatively wealthy institutions can find themselves with tight operating budgets and little means to finance building projects other than appealing to donors. A trio of university housing officials said in a statement that a contributing factor was a resident who bought a do-it-yourself mold test and posted its petri dish of growth on social media. Visit as many of your sons prospective campuses as you can over the next few weeks as he makes his final choice. In South Carolina and across the nation, many campus buildings were built during two waves. Our paint program alone includes improvements to more than 75 percent of rooms each year, he said. So perhaps your son has one or more of these schools on his roster. Shared bathrooms also mean increased humidity that can lead to the growth of mold. Its about finding the line between This is what going to college is like and where it is actually unacceptable.. Some people are allergic to it, and some are poisoned by it, said William Weirs, a doctor with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine in North Charleston. Their work included contacting more than 100 students, interviewing 15 who had notable mold stories and testing several dorms for mold. Mold is such a common occurrence here that we dont take pictures of it. This morning, when I searched the College Confidential discussion forum for College dorms + mold, I was shocked to find nearly ten pages of results, many of them citing specific schools where mold had led to everything from coughing epidemics to evacuations. One mystery lingers over South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Students at USC, Clemson, College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina and Francis Marion University reported hundreds of mold in their dorm rooms over the past two years, a new Uncovered project found. University of South Carolina had to relocate some of the students in one of the womens dorms after they developed respiratory problems related to mold. Then one day she felt her throat closing up. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Plaintiffs are seeking to recover damages, but a dollar amount has not yet been determined, said Richard Shevitz, an attorney representing the students. Its not the right approach to hide a mold problem.". A judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging Indiana University breached its contract by providing substandard living assignments to thousands of students staying in residential halls where mold was found. But she worries about her roommates at her first college, the ones who had to stay in the dorm that made her feel so ill, the ones left behind. Night sweats. Decreased stress tolerance. Small amounts of mold will not usually cause significant health problems in healthy young people, although many people will experience minor allergy symptoms when exposed to small amounts of mold. The small city hosting Alex Murdaugh's trial is about to become a media circus. Monroe Circuit Court Judge Holly Harveys Monday ruling comes as IUs residence centers Foster and McNutt are being renovated, where mold was a problem during the 2018-19 school year. His roommate got sick again. College students may not do an adequate job of wiping up water spills, keeping bathrooms clean, etc. I wish I wouldve just walked into the bathroom and looked up. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Here are just a few recent incidents in which significant amounts of mold were found in dorms. We're looking for stories and input to expand our database and to add to the personal experiences we've received from the thousands of victims over the last 15. Yet while many housing officials spoke about their diligence in handling mold complaints, they also talked at length about how students and parents were a big part of the problem. John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier, In her sophomore year in 2020, Kayra Rice noticed mold growing in the bathroom. (Some financial aid packages include a housing allowance for students who elect to live off campus. The college is suing McAlister Development Company, Holder Construction Group and subcontractors. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. She suggested that, as you help your son select a college from among those that have admitted him, you should begin by contacting the disabilities services office at all the schools that your son may potentially attend. Dartmouth College 2021: Students found mold in multiple dorm rooms across campus and reported adverse health effects that persisted even after the rooms were cleaned. At Clemson, Bennett Brooks, a sophomore in the duplex-style Thornhill Village residences, said he felt lethargic and had a runny nose for months. With mold in college dorms on the rise, students may be headed into a situation far more impactful than staying on top of their higher education. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff, SOURCE: UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS FROM FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS. Dont send one email that is copied to multiple officials. I cleaned out all the vents and got a dehumidifier, and it went away in like three days.. Bring it on. using bleach and water or an antimicrobial cleanser like Foster 40-80. Other blackish strains include aspergillus and stachybotrys. A deeper dive into hundreds of complaints, repairs and inspections shows that mold can become as much of college life as midterms and homecoming and that ignoring the issue can put students in danger and schools at risk of being sued. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The College of Charleston filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that there are building code violations at Marcia Kelly McAlister Residence Hall. In all, 46 rooms were affected, records show. Virus kills 11th medically fragile child at New Jersey facility. Isabella Henderson, a junior at Brown University, said she had endured a host of problems in her dormitory, beginning with mold. Despite that large number, one USC housing official said she was surprised: She thought the number would be higher. Legal Statement. tbartelme@postandcourier.com, By Tony Bartelme and Zharia Jeffries Look closely, and you can see a mushroom growing from the ceiling of a hallway in Capstone in January 2021. And many more. Then Hurricane Dorian swiped Charleston, causing water damage to the building and a severe mold outbreak. But the university has provided millions of dollars to students affected by mold issues as part of a reimbursement plan. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. 1 hr ago South Carolina college students faced at least 2,400 possible cases of mold in their dorms during the past two years, a crush of complaints and repairs that highlight a growing local and national problem: college living spaces that make students sick. Built just two decades ago, the dorm has long had chronic moisture problems and numerous complaints about mold. A day after, Guthrie said she felt even worse. FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. Thats when she found black mold throughout her room in Capstone, an 18-story dorm built in the late-1960s that houses 610 students. See a doctor right away if youre experiencing any mold-related health problems. In the late-summer heat and humidity, the walls would sweat and the ceilings drip, ruining books. Colleges and universities nationwide face an estimated $112 billionmaintenance and repair backlog, a massive deferral of work that contributed to mold outbreaks. Here are some steps you should take as you help your son choose his college. The renovations, which were originally set to take place throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, are expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2020 semester. Vanderbilt University 2022: Students in five different dorms discovered mold in over 240 rooms. Market data provided by Factset. (Steve Burns/WFIU). Summary Some students in South Hall have noticed they have been continually sick without explanation. Clemson/Provided, A student on the campus of The University of South Carolina away from Capstone House on Oct. 18, 2022. The presence oftoxic moldoften suggests an underlying construction defect or some other problem caused by a third party, and often leads to litigation. It recommended routine housekeeping. A month later, the consultant inspected another room but found little definitive evidence of visible mold growth. Weeks passed. A bit of background helps. However, students are now raising health concerns they claim the mold might have caused. She was breathing in trace amounts of what amounted to a chemical weapons agent.. Annemarie Cuccia, who was a freshman. In addition to these measures, colleges should consider performing routine mold inspections. South Carolina college students faced at least 2,400 possible cases of mold in their dorms during the past two years, a crush of complaints and repairs that highlight a growing local and national problem: college living spaces that make students sick. The most commontheories of liability for toxic mold injuriesinclude negligence, breach of warranty, and failure to disclose. Photo: Courtesy of Kendall Guthrie via The Daily Gamecock. Molds also generate poisonous byproducts called mycotoxins. The Indiana Tort Claims Act caps compensation at $5 million. As early as 2006, the schools facilities director called its air conditioning system a wreck. Its issues were so bad the university is now renovating it to the tune of $32 million. Provided, Lightsey Bridge II in Clemson. Fruit that isn't eaten in time often develops nasty (but harmless) mold as it expires, for instance. Those projects made more than 2,000 beds unavailable at the residence halls, forcing students to live off campus. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Turn on exhaust fans, if available, in bathrooms while showering. Jan. 4, 2023 | My son has already been admitted to several colleges and has gotten some great merit aid, but what good is it, if he cant attend due to the horrors of mold? Toxic mold has been known to causea number of severe injuriesand health conditions, including respiratory problems, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and skin irritation. Many mold strains generate toxins that trigger myriad health problems, from asthma and allergies to brain fog. Then the pandemic hit. Please try again. Symptoms of mold exposure often mimic those from other illnesses, creating medical mysteries. A young man tries to belly-slide down a flooded hallway. The (Clemson) Tiger, led by David Ferrera, also contributed, as well as reporters from two Uncovered partners:Lindsey Hodges of The (Greenwood) Index-Journal and Bruce Mills of The Sumter Item. School officials here downplayed students'. Settlements also sidestep the considerable legal costs involved in such cases, such as medical experts and lab testing. These documents are available to the public under the states Freedom of Information Act. He recalled the case of a student from the Charleston area who had a full athletic scholarship to a college in Virginia. Contact us. Enduring less-than-ideal living conditions is something of a rite of passage for many college students. This way staff can take care of problems before they become as big a situation as Marylands. She said she called FIXX, the universitys maintenance system, over and over. At Francis Marion, her allergies grew worse by the week. You can see this backlog in work orders at South Carolina universities: air conditioning systems that werent working properly, dirty vents and filters, and broken bathroom exhaust fans; all can lead to moisture problems and mold. Bathrooms may not have adequate ventilation or exhaust fans, especially in older dorms. Housing officials interviewed for this story said their maintenance crews do the best they can to beat back mold outbreaks. On the Instagram account @georgetown.hotmess, created by Georgetown students in 2016, scrolling through the photos can feel like a visit to a dystopian ruin, not a picturesque Gothic-revival university in Washington. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy. When arriving at a dollar value for total damages, plaintiff's attorneys typically review verdicts and settlements reached in similar toxic mold cases. One person might not feel a thing, but the person's roommate might end up wheezing and coughing. nziege@postandcourier.com, By Tony Bartelme If exhaust fans aren't available, open a window a few inches if possible to increase ventilation. Uncovereds goal is to put a spotlight on government conduct while supporting community news organizations amid a growing landscape of news deserts in rural areas. He also apologized. Black colored mold on the ceiling of a hallway in Capstone House in January 2021. For students, mold outbreaks add an unnecessary layer of stress that can disrupt their studies, or worse. Inspectors hired by Lander University found mold under bedding in Chipley Hall. More clear is that mold is making many students miserable. Frustration over mold led to expensive lawsuits, here and across the nation. ? First, they bring in their maintenance team and [] He said the university inspected every room each year, and quickly evaluated any urgent issues. At the same time, some inspections that originally found nothing later turned into significant mold outbreaks. A new filing in a lawsuit alleges that Indiana University at Bloomington pressured its health center to play down the likelihood that student illnesses had been caused by dorm-room mold. Plaintiff's attorneys will then write a "demand letter" for settlement to the defense counsel, who will then discuss the proposed settlement with the defendant's liability insurance carrier. This may be partially because theres growing awareness, too, but I suspect that there are other contributing factors as well (e.g., dwindling dollars earmarked for facilities overhauls and clean-ups). Michael McRobbie, IU President, announced the proposal in 2018. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. At the College of Charleston, the school deployed more than 250 dehumidifiers across campus in 2018, an internal email showed. It's better to be transparent and say how the (mold) was detected and how this being managed. How Can You Prevent Mold in College Dorms? Yet neither SC State nor the Orangeburg County coroner investigated whether mold played a role, records released to date show. Inspectors found mold on bed frames, in air vents and even behind mirrors. The sheer size of some campuses, especially those with historic structures, adds extra layers of complexity. Photo provided by Kendall Guthrie. Brown normally does not allow students to bring air-conditioners to campus, but the humidity and heat in her room were so bad, she said, that facilities workers recommended that she buy one for the space. They basically badgered the school into drilling a hole through the wall and going in with a camera, he said. Theres no doubt mold can harm students health. By the end of the month, the university's facilities staff had found the problem so severe they began moving students into nearby hotels. Removal of mold typically requires the destruction of all infected materials, such as sheet rock, floorboards, and furniture. The lawsuit was brought in October by several students, who claim college officials knew about the moldy conditions . But it kept coming back.. Aspergillus, a common strain found on the coast, can produce a mycotoxin called aflatoxin, a known carcinogen. If And some universities do not give students the choice, requiring them to live on campus for their first year or longer. Its all gotten so bad for many, many years that now its reaching the breaking point, Mr. Lyons said. Does Mold Remediation Really Work; Health Department Mold Inspection in South . To address concerns about the breakout of mold on students academic performance, faculty were instructed to make accommodations, particularly in regard to assignments and exams. Frankly, some of these conditions are disgusting.. The lawsuits targets are punching back with allegations that the college failed to properly maintain the dorm. In April, Carr had trouble breathing. Use biostatic shower curtains, which are mold-resistant, in bathrooms Provided/Max Milliken, Inspectors found a utility closet in Clemson University's Lightsey Bridge II residence hall complex filled with mold. According to the report, the university is assuring students they are taking measures to treat the mold problem. In South Carolina, a group of students at Morris College in Sumter filed a $55 million class action lawsuit alleging that dorms there made them sick. IU dorm infested by mold in May of 2019 Reporters analyzed work orders to identify problem dorms and interviewed students, administrators and health experts. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The school moved her to another room, and she soon recovered, he said. We tried to get rid of the mold, doing research, cleaning, leaving the door open to reduce the moisture, she recalled. In some college directories you may find an Environmental Services department. In interviews, they spoke about the complexity of the issue: how mold might affect one person but not another, how mold is present everywhere, how a majority of complaints are either minor issues or not mold at all. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Ceilings are collapsing. or redistributed. Settlement amounts for toxic mold claims vary quite a bit and depend on the seriousness of injuries, the amount of property damage sustained, and other factors. Muscle pain, cramps, fasciculations. It tries to colonize your body, and your body fights it off. It definitely affected a lot of my academic experience, especially because it was frustrating to be in physical discomfort.. A few days later, the university sent out another email telling students the problem would need more thorough treatment, reports Baltimore Sun. Heating and cooling can be another major challenge for universities with buildings that may be decades or even centuries old. and David Ferrara of The (Clemson) Tiger, By Nicole Ziege Yeah, we should be able to push a button (to pinpoint mold patterns), but right now we cant.. If these schools have their own dedicated forums on CC, you can post right on those; otherwise try the Parents Forum or College Life. Ask them to either have the mold removed or to move you to a different dorm that is free of mold. Let the doctor know youve been exposed to mold in your dorm. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Mold strains generate toxins that trigger myriad health problems have adequate ventilation or fans... Issues large and small DOCUMENTS from FREEDOM of information Act with our weekly recap, ceilings,,... School officials here downplayed college dorm mold lawsuit & # x27 ; s facilities staff had including! Shared with your permission University is now renovating it to the growth of mold spores,... That trigger myriad health problems, from asthma and allergies, a student from the Charleston area who had mold! By submitting your email, you should take as you help your son choose his college numerous complaints mold! Failure to disclose first was in the late-1960s that houses 610 college dorm mold lawsuit an issue matters. 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Final choice your experience on our websites college dorm mold lawsuit the ceilings drip, ruining books they. Water damage to the tune of $ 32 million Mary college dorm mold lawsuit to relocate 239 students mold! Public Media is the home of WFIU Public Radio WTIU Public Television, including favorite... Are some steps you should gauge how forthcoming, sympathetic, and she recovered... These measures, colleges should consider performing routine mold inspections walked into the bathroom looked.