University of Arizona students moved out of Coronado dorm after reports of mold

Students living in the University of Arizona's Coronado residence hall in Tucson have been told to leave their rooms after mold was reported, according to KOLD, whose Gray News report was carried by Dakota News Now, Live 5 News, KFYR and WIS.

The headline on the report said dozens of students were relocated. The story itself said the total was unclear: KOLD spoke with at least a dozen students who were told to move. The university did not immediately release a figure.

Freshmen Lily Kingsbury and Ryleigh Beitler told KOLD they suspected a problem soon after moving in. Kingsbury described illness on their floor and dark spots in a bathroom. "Everybody was like continuously sick on our floor," she said. The students said they ran a mold culture test and contacted maintenance when the results worried them.

According to Beitler, maintenance workers inspected her room and then checked other rooms along the hall. About two hours later, students said, an email instructed them to move out at once so repairs could be made.

Cate Schneider, a freshman on another floor, also moved out Friday, KOLD reported. She said she had been sick for months and learned of her relocation from other people rather than from the university. Her mother, Suzanne English, told the station the situation was disappointing.

In a statement, the university said a seventh-floor resident asked on Oct. 21 for a mold inspection. Its Environmental Health and Safety office went the same day and found localized suspected microbial growth linked to moisture coming in at an exterior window. During that visit, other students reported water intrusion and possible mold on parts of their room heating and cooling units.

The university said custodial staff treated suspected mold on non-porous surfaces, such as air grates, right away. It also hired an outside remediation company to handle porous materials, such as drywall. It said each room has its own heating and cooling unit with no shared ductwork. It added that it saw no sign of a building-wide mold problem.

The school said environmental health professionals will review the work before students return and that it is providing alternative housing.

Beitler told KOLD she has not been able to see inspection documents and is unsure whether she would move back. "How do I know that it's actually going to be safe?" she said.

Compiled by True News from reporting by Dakota News Now, Live 5 News, KFYR and WIS. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/427