NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sending a child off to college is a big moment in any parent's life.
But a family with a student at Tennessee State University says they didn't expect to have to deal with breathing problems they believe could be caused by mold in the dorms.
NewsChannel 5 was contacted by a family who says their TSU student living in the Wilson Hall dorm started symptoms that kept them out of school — especially in the age of COVID-19, like coughing and shortness of breath.
But after several negative COVID tests, Razia's sister looked inside the vents in her dorm and found what she says was dust and mold.
Razia says she doesn't want her last name used because she doesn't want her sister at TSU to be targeted for speaking out.
"I'm scared for my sister, I don't want her to get bullied, I don't want her to get attacked for standing up for herself," Razia said.
TSU responded to our request for comment by saying:
Today, the Office of Residence Life received reports of what some students believe to be possible mold in the HVAC units in Wilson Hall. Our Facilities Management team immediately began conducting air quality tests in the entire building. Additionally, a contractor will be on site tomorrow to evaluate and clean all units in the residence halls. Student safety and well-being are our main priorities. This includes providing a healthy environment for students to live and learn. We are working to fix these issues and fix them immediately. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our students and will continue to work until this is resolved.
