COLUMBUS — Families are suing The Ohio State University after students said they were living inside a residence hall infested with mold.
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The lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 50 students and their families alleges that the university knew dozens of first-year students were living in a “toxic time bomb,” according to CBS affiliate WBNS.
WBNS reproted in November that students living in Lawrence Tower became sick from mold growing inside the building.
Ohio State officials said a water leak in late October affected 19 rooms. The leak led to mold growth, prompting the university to relocate dozens of students. Officials learned that the issue was more widespread.
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Concerned parents hired a mold inspector.
He assessed that the building saw “decades of water leaks and water abuse” and that the mold was not properly addressed.
In the lawsuit, Ohio State is accused of negligence, implied warranty of habitability, nuisance, and fraud, WBNS reported.
The lawsuit also alleges that when Ohio State acquired the former hotel property in 2009, the renovations made to it included “little to no remediation of known mold and asbestos issues at the property.”
WBNS has reached out to the university for comment.
We will continue to follow this story.
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