NC State Faces Lawsuit
A group of former students, faculty, and staff are taking legal action against North Carolina State University, claiming they developed breast cancer after being unknowingly exposed to toxic chemicals in Poe Hall for years. The lawsuit asserts that the university overlooked contamination warning signs for decades.
Filed in Wake County Superior Court, the complaint includes 12 plaintiffs, among them two estates from wrongful death cases. This marks the first instance where former occupants of Poe Hall have directly accused NC State of causing serious health issues due to the building's contamination.
NC State’s response to lawsuit:
“ For any member of the NC State community who has battled or succumbed to a serious illness, our hearts go out to them and their families.This lawsuit is a continuation of actions stemming from complaints regarding Poe Hall. Responses to this legal action will be made through appropriate legal channels.Separately, NC State will continue to pursue accountability against Monsanto for damages from the PCBs it manufactured and furnished to construct Poe Hall.While the lawsuit against Monsanto continues, NC State will move forward with planning for remediation of the education building in order to get students, faculty and staff back to learning in an appropriate education environment in the heart of campus.”
Poe Hall was officially closed in 2023, and since that time, more than 225 individuals have reported to local news outlets that they were diagnosed with cancer after spending time working or studying there. Most of these individuals state that they received their diagnoses in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, have no genetic predispositions, and no family history of the illness. They attribute their health issues to exposure to toxic chemicals in Poe Hall.
Additionally, the complaint claims that PCBs have been present in Poe Hall since its opening in 1971, embedded within construction materials like caulk, adhesives, insulation, and fluorescent light ballasts. The Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the production of PCBs in 1979 due to their association with cancer; however, these chemicals can still persist in older buildings constructed prior to the ban, including Poe Hall.
The plaintiffs assert that they were repeatedly exposed while studying or working in Poe Hall through inhaling contaminated air, ingesting PCB-laden dust, and coming into contact with contaminated surfaces. In contrast to asbestos or lead, the EPA does not mandate universal PCB testing in all buildings. Nevertheless, federal guidelines suggest that older buildings, particularly those built or renovated before the 1980s, should be assessed and tested when PCBs might be present. Faculty and students have complained for years about poor air quality, including dust and oily black particles blowing out of vents and settling on surfaces. There were reports of particulate matter being released into offices and classrooms during seasonal changes by the HVAC system.
PCB testing in Poe Hall at NC State began in 2023. As a result of testing commissioned and funded by the university, PCB levels in some areas of the building are 38 times higher than what the EPA considers safe, raising concerns about the temperature of the area and the duration of exposure.
This story is still being developed, and RBM will provide updates as necessary.