Family questions whether mold caused death of Ark. State student

[Guest guest]

Family questions whether mold caused death of Ark. State student

Pine Bluff Commercial - Pine Bluff,AR,

Saturday, December 2, 2006 10:46 PM CST

http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/2006/12/03/ap-state-

ar/d8lot1280.txt

JONESBORO, Ark. - The family of a 19-year-old Arkansas State student

who became ill and died last month is questioning whether a

university dormitory may have sickened their son.

" This office has been retained to bring to a legal conclusion

allegations that somehow a young man was fatally injured as a result

of being housed in ASU properties, " said attorney Jimmie , who

represents the family of Corey Rodgers. " Now whether or not that is

through a lawsuit or some other means has not been determined

because I have only anecdotal allegations at hand from the parent

and some statements from other students who became ill as a result

of living in the same room or in close proximity. "

Rodgers died Nov. 19 in a boro hospital and his cause of death

remains uncertain. An autopsy has been performed, and the family is

awaiting its results, said. However, said he's

investigating whether mold inside Rodgers' Kays Hall dorm room may

have played a role in the death.

" It behooves us ... to make sure that everything over there in this

particular dorm, and it may be other dorms, does not expose these

kids, whether they live in the rooms, whether they are visitors, "

said.

Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rick Stripling

said that Rodgers' dorm room has been examined and officials found

no health hazard.

The Arkansas Department of Labor, which investigates mold

contamination, said it has received no request for investigation or

complaints about mold at Arkansas State in the past year.

Stripling said the university has hired an independent analyst to

conduct tests at the dorm.

" The results of his report will be made public as soon as the tests

are complete and analyzed, " Stripling said. " We will continue to

monitor the situation and take any action needed to protect the

safety of our students. "

But said the university isn't doing enough to ensure that the

residence halls are safe.

" Suppose this was asbestos, would you have kids in there? "

asked. " This is a tragedy for the university and this child, but at

some point in time you must err on the side of protecting these

kids. "

Information from: The boro Sun, http://www.jonesborosun.com

[Guest guest]

But, of course, since inhaled mold is completely harmless, according to all

of the CDC experts, that 'legal conclusion' of course

will be that they are wrong...

After all, aren't the same people who are telling us that mold is harmless

also telling us that asbestos is harmless and that all of the people who

have been sickened or died from

asbestos were/are lying cheats. Why should it be any different for mold or

any of the other chemicals that we make so much money using?

It makes no difference that human wisdom going back 4000 years, to the Old

Testament (Leviticus, Ch. 13, verses 1-46) says that mold is dangerous, its

actually harmless.

Good to know that, isn't it?

Now we can rest easy. Its all in our heads. Don't worry about them not

fixing that leak, or that noxious smell in your apartment, its harmless.

On 12/3/06, tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

>

> Family questions whether mold caused death of Ark. State student

> Pine Bluff Commercial - Pine Bluff,AR,

>

> Saturday, December 2, 2006 10:46 PM CST

>

> http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/2006/12/03/ap-state-

> ar/d8lot1280.txt

>

> JONESBORO, Ark. - The family of a 19-year-old Arkansas State student

> who became ill and died last month is questioning whether a

> university dormitory may have sickened their son.

>

> " This office has been retained to bring to a legal conclusion

> allegations that somehow a young man was fatally injured as a result

> of being housed in ASU properties, " said attorney Jimmie , who

> represents the family of Corey Rodgers. " Now whether or not that is

> through a lawsuit or some other means has not been determined

> because I have only anecdotal allegations at hand from the parent

> and some statements from other students who became ill as a result

> of living in the same room or in close proximity. "

>

> Rodgers died Nov. 19 in a boro hospital and his cause of death

> remains uncertain. An autopsy has been performed, and the family is

> awaiting its results, said. However, said he's

> investigating whether mold inside Rodgers' Kays Hall dorm room may

> have played a role in the death.

>

> " It behooves us ... to make sure that everything over there in this

> particular dorm, and it may be other dorms, does not expose these

> kids, whether they live in the rooms, whether they are visitors, "

> said.

>

> Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rick Stripling

> said that Rodgers' dorm room has been examined and officials found

> no health hazard.

>

> The Arkansas Department of Labor, which investigates mold

> contamination, said it has received no request for investigation or

> complaints about mold at Arkansas State in the past year.

>

> Stripling said the university has hired an independent analyst to

> conduct tests at the dorm.

>

> " The results of his report will be made public as soon as the tests

> are complete and analyzed, " Stripling said. " We will continue to

> monitor the situation and take any action needed to protect the

> safety of our students. "

>

> But said the university isn't doing enough to ensure that the

> residence halls are safe.

>

> " Suppose this was asbestos, would you have kids in there? "

> asked. " This is a tragedy for the university and this child, but at

> some point in time you must err on the side of protecting these

> kids. "

>

> Information from: The boro Sun, http://www.jonesborosun.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

http://www.asuherald.com/media/storage/paper898/news/2006/11/30/News/Family.Cons\

idering.Legal.Action.After.Students.Death-2516681-page2.shtml

Family considering legal action after student's death

Waylon

Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: News

Family members of an A-State freshman who died Nov. 19 have sought

counsel to consider legal action against the university because they

believe toxic mold in the student's Kays Hall room contributed to his

illness and ultimate death.

Corey Rodgers, a freshman physical therapy major of West Helena

checked himself into St. Bernards Regional Medical Center on Nov. 5.

Rodgers died Nov. 19 in the intensive-care unit of the hospital.

Jimmie of and Associates of West Helena, who represents

Rodgers' estate, said he was unsure as to what type of legal action

will be taken at this time, because he is still waiting on an autopsy

report and other medical records.

did say, however that the possibility of filing a civil,

wrongful-death suit against the university is being considered.

" You don't want to send your child to a state university and be

subjected to something dangerous, microscopic or otherwise, that is

present in the dorms, " said.

Rick Stripling, vice chancellor of student affairs, said university

officials have not seen any evidence that would suggest living

conditions in Kays Hall contributed to Rodgers' death.

" We've looked at it. Our folks have looked at it, and we see that it

is not an issue, " Stripling said.

However, said he is hopeful the lawsuit will be settled before

it goes to court.

" My hopes, and the hopes of the family, is that this will not be tried

because of the nature of this tragedy, " said. " There is no

amount of money that can compensate a family for a loss like this, "

continued. requested copies of the autopsy report on

Rodgers Monday from the Arkansas Crime Lab, which he thinks will

provide more details about Rodgers' death than the death certificate.

Rodgers' mother requested the autopsy be performed.

" I am very hopeful that when we get all the information we will be

able to come to some resolution about this whole matter, " said.

" I am sure that (the university) will handle this responsibly. If

not, we'll just have to let the chips fall where they may, "

said.

Stripling verified Wednesday that consultants would be on campus

within the next couple of days testing areas of Kays Hall for mold.

Payne, assistant professor of clinical lab sciences, said

certain types of mold can be fatal.

Aspergillus is a type of mold that, if inhaled, can invade the lung

tissue, according to Payne.

Payne said this type of mold often causes bronchial asthma, which

assists the development of viral or

bacterial pneumonia.

Stachybotrys, often called black mold, weakens blood vessels in the

lungs and causes bleeding in the lungs.

Mold, according to Payne, can live off anything if dampness is

present, and unless things are kept dry, it is likely that mold will

develop.

A common place where mold is found is in dark, damp areas, such as

corners, ceiling tiles, bathrooms, ventilation ducts, refrigerators,

on food around leaky pipes or often-wet areas.

http://www.asuherald.com/media/storage/paper898/news/2006/11/30/News/Friends.Mou\

rn.Loss.Remember.Rodgers-2516683.shtml

Friends mourn loss, remember Rodgers

Waylon

Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: News

Friends of a student who had been ill for several weeks expressed

sorrow and shock when they returned to ASU to find out that he had

passed away over Thanksgiving break.

Corey Rodgers, a freshman physical therapy major of West Helena, died

of Nov. 19 in the intensive-care unit of St. Bernards Regional Medical

Center. He checked himself into the hospital on Nov. 5.

Rodgers was the son of Risper of Dallas and Harold and

Rodgers of West Helena. Rodgers is also survived by two siblings.

Rick Stripling, vice chancellor of student affairs, said that a

student's death is always a situation that saddens university

officials. " Our condolences are always to the family of the student, "

Stripling said.

" His death was a big surprise to me, " Corey , a freshman

physical therapy major and longtime friend of Rodgers, said. " People

were saying that he was getting better, then he passed away. It was a

huge shock. "

, who first met Rodgers in the fourth grade, described Rodgers

as a cool, always joking person. " He always had a good attitude, "

said.

Jarrett, a high school friend of Rodgers who attends Arkansas

Baptist College at Little Rock, said, " He was a care-free person who

treated everyone the same. "

Jarrett reminisced about Rodgers' spontaneity.

" He loved to have fun, and wasn't ashamed to do things at the spur of

the moment, " Jarrett said. " He was trying to live a life that no one

would forget. "

Rodgers attended Central High School at West Helena where he was

devoted to the JROTC program and played center and defensive end for

the high school football team.

Kashiea Lotts, a freshman psychology and nursing major of West

Memphis, said Rodgers was the type of person someone could talk to

when they felt that they could not talk with anyone else.

" Now that he's gone, I don't really have no one to talk to like I

talked to Corey, " Lotts said. " I loved him like a brother, and I'm

glad I had the chance to know him. "

Tanika , a freshman nursing major of Racine, Wis., met Rodgers

early in the semester when she and Rodgers struck up a friendship.

" He was a real laid-back person. He was always happy about something, "

said. " We used to sit in the (Student) Union for hours, just

acting goofy and talking. "

Funeral services were held Nov. 25 in the Central High School Gym at

West Helena.