Lincoln University students claim mold at Anthony Hall was reported last year

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Forty-nine Lincoln University students are temporarily moved out of Anthony Hall until at least the end of the fall semester after mold was discovered growing in an empty dorm room.

Students were initially notified on Wednesday and moved out that evening and throughout Thursday.

"We got an email saying that we're going to be having a meeting, relocating to Dawson Hall yesterday and today," first-year LU student John Marker said. "It was kind of a pretty big surprise, really unexpected."

Marker was one of the 49 students living in Anthony Hall who were moved.

"It was more just annoying, I don't really have that much stuff, all my stuff fit into a duffel bag and a suitcase," Marker said. "I do know that there was some people that had like really decorated the room and had a ton of stuff, it was going to take them quite a while and a lot of effort to get moved out."

ABC 17 News was on campus Thursday and saw LU employees moving furniture out of Anthony Hall into moving trucks from the school's Facilities and Planning Department.

According to students ABC 17 News spoke with, residents were moved to Dawson, Tull and Perry halls. Residents who were moved to a more expensive dorm hall kept their original room and board fees, while residents in dorm halls with cheaper fees were refunded the difference.

"Whenever the beginning of the school year started, there was a few people that had seen mold in their rooms, and I made sure to thoroughly check my room and I didn't really see anything," Marker said. "I think that my room was, for the most part, pretty safe."

Marker added during the meeting where the relocation was announced, some students raised concerns about previous residents reporting mold.

"Some people were arguing about the fact that they [Lincoln University] could have done deeper inspections in between last year and this year," Marker said. "There was a lot of issues with students last year that had seen mold in their rooms, and they had sent in a ticket for it, and that ticket apparently didn't go anywhere."

"When a specific concern is reported, the University's protocol is to conduct an initial assessment and, when warranted, bring in specialized outside professionals," LU wrote in an email to ABC 17 News.

LU did not address whether maintenance received or addressed the complaints of mold from the previous school year.

Even with short notice, students are staying positive, with several who spoke with ABC 17 News reporting that mold is inevitable with historic campuses.

"There wasn't really much that they could do besides relocate us until they have it fully cleaned out, it is for our safety and for their safety," Marker said. "It is guaranteed pretty much for an old building to at some point in its life have some kind of form of fungal infestation, which sucks, but it happens."

First-year student Jamier Wilson does not live in Anthony Hall, but was similarly not suprised about the reports of mold.

"I was expecting complications, I knew what I was coming into, going to HBCU at that, especially like how the how the United States is right now, I wasn't expecting high funding or anything, so I was understanding about it," Wilson said. "And they're [Lincoln University] trying to figure it out, it's not like they're just keeping them [students] in there, they're trying to fix it."

Students also told ABC 17 News the school is hoping to clear the mold by the end of the fall semester. However, students were warned the new placements could last until the rest of the year. LU has not yet publicly announced a date for when maintenance for Anthony Hall will be completed.

"The University’s goal is to complete the necessary work and reopen Anthony Hall for the spring semester, providing students with a residence hall that meets the University’s standards for health, safety and comfort. Lincoln will continue to support the temporarily relocated students to ensure they are successfully settled in their new residence halls for the remainder of the fall semester," LU said in the email.