NC State files lawsuit against Monsanto for Poe Hall contamination
AGAINST IT. A SAD DEVELOPMENT
THERE, BRIAN.
>> THE FINGER POINTING TONIGHT
OVER WHO'S TO BLAME FOR THE
CONTAMINATION AT POE HALL.
NEW TODAY. NC STATE UNIVERSITY
FILED A NEW MULTI-MILLION
DOLLAR LAWSUIT AGAINST MONSANTO
SCHOOL. OFFICIALS SAY THAT
COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE. WRAL'S
KEELY ARTHUR IS JOINING US
KILL. YOU HAVE BEEN
INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE FOR
YEARS. HELPING WITH AN UPDATE.
IS THIS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
WHICH SAYS A LOT BECAUSE WE'VE
SEEN A LOT THROUGH THESE PAST
2 YEARS NOW. THIS IS THE
LAWSUIT.
>> AND IT IS THE FIRST TIME
NC STATE IS DESCRIBING JUST HOW
BAD THE BUILDING IS. USING
WORDS LIKE TOXIC IN CALLING
IT UNFIT FOR OCCUPANCY. BUT NC
STATE IS
SAYING, HEY, THIS ISN'T OUR
FAULT. BLAME THE FOLKS THE
CHEMICALS FOUND IN THE
BUILDING. MONSANTO, THE
CHEMICAL COMPANY WHOLEHEARTEDLY
DISAGREE.
>> IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THAT CERTAINLY THEY'RE
NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGING IT, BUT
THEY'RE POINTING THE FINGER
ELSEWHERE. CHRISTY LEWIS IS
ONE OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE.
>> WHO BEGAN BATTLING CANCER
AFTER SPENDING TIME IN POE HALL
IN NOVEMBER OF 2023. THE
UNIVERSITY CLOSED THE BUILDING
AFTER TESTING FOUND HIGH LEVELS
OF PCBS. THE CHEMICALS ARE NOW
A KNOWN CARCINOGEN, BUT IN THE
EARLY 70'S, THE CHEMICALS WERE
COMMONLY USED IN INSULATION,
CEILING PAINTS AND ADHESIVES,
INCLUDING IMPOSE HALL BUILT
IN 1971. THE CHEMICALS HAVE
SINCE BEEN OUTLAWED. BUT NC
STATE'S LAWSUIT CLAIMS THAT
MONSANTO FAILED TO WARN THE
UNIVERSITY OF THE DANGERS OF
PCBS AND BELIEVES MONSANTO IS
TO BLAME FOR THE LEGAL FALLOUT
PLAGUING THE UNIVERSITY.
THE LAWSUIT STATING ANY LOSSES
COSTS OR DAMAGES THAT NC STATE
HAS INCURRED OR WILL INCUR IN
DEFENDING OR PAYING EXPOSURE
CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THE
CONDITIONS AT POE HALL ARE THE
RESULT OF MONSANTO'S WRONGFUL
CONDUCT. MONSANTO WRITING BACK
THESE CLAIMS LACK MERIT.
MONSANTO DISCONTINUED ITS
PRODUCTS OF BULK INDUSTRIAL
PCBS, NEARLY 5 DECADES AGO AND
PROVIDED APPROPRIATE WARNINGS,
ADDING THAT IT WAS NC STATE
WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF
MAINTAINING THE BUILDING AND
LEWIS, A YOUNG MOTHER WHO
BATTLED 2 FORMS OF CANCER AFTER
STUDYING INSIDE POE HALL, ALONG
WITH HUNDREDS MORE PREVIOUSLY
ANNOUNCED THAT THEY PLAN TO
TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST BOTH
THE UNIVERSITY AND MONSANTO
CHRISTIE. WHO DO YOU ULTIMATELY
BLAME? HONESTLY, I BLAME BOTH
PARTIES LENIENCY, STAY AND IDLY
MONSANTO. THEY BOTH MAKE
MISTAKES.
>> BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IS
NOT BE RECTIFIED IN A WAY THAT
BRINGS JUSTICE TO THE VICTIMS.
>> THIS IS COMING OUT OF LEFT
FIELD FOR THE ATTORNEYS
REPRESENTING SICK WORKERS AND
STUDENTS LIKE CHRISTIE. I JUST
HEARD FROM ONE OF THAT DAVID
KIRBY AND HE SAID HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND WHY NC STATE DIDN'T
TAKE THIS ACTION EARLIER.
ADDING THAT NC STATE HAS NOT
BEEN COOPERATIVE OR SUPPORTIVE
OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY POE HALL.
ADDING, THOUGH, THAT HE
APPLAUDS AND SUPPORTS ALL
EFFORTS TO SEEK JUSTICE.