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North Carolina State again called for an investigation into Poe Hall just hours after a vote of no confidence against the chancellor

Theo

Just before the start of the spring semester, members of North Carolina State University’s College of Education took an unprecedented step: They issued a vote of no confidence in the incumbent chancellor. Although the vote was purely symbolic, records now show that the university again requested an independent health investigation just hours after the vote.

More than 1,200 pages of emails and documents exchanged between the Centers for Disease Control and NC State provide new insight into NC State’s handling of Poe Hall and its willingness to involve the CDC in the building’s investigation.

Weeks before the vote, Kate Norwalk contacted WRAL 5 On Your Side, her heart pounding. She had just learned that the CDC was no longer inspecting Poe Hall, the building where she had taught for seven years.

It was the same building that she and hundreds of others believed might have been the cause of their cancer.

NC State closed Poe Hall after air and dust samples showed high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Commonly used in building materials in the early to mid-20th century, PCBs were banned by the EPA in 1979 due to their toxicity to humans and animals.

Studies have linked PCBs to cancer, tumors and other medical problems.

Norwalk was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. Before the pandemic, she had spent 50 hours a week in the building working toward her tenure. By 2023, two other women in her 30-person psychology department were battling the same disease, and there were more cases in the College of Education, which is also housed in Poe Hall.

Emails obtained exclusively by WRAL News show that an adjunct faculty member who is also battling cancer implored the university in August to test the building. According to the emails, the staff member knew of at least five other women in the College of Education who were also battling breast cancer. The university began testing the building in October and closed it in mid-November.

Later that month, WRAL News reported that NC State had requested a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the CDC. Health hazard evaluations assess potential risks that workers face on the job.

During an HHE, investigators could collect samples, review medical records and conduct medical examinations. The evaluation would take six to 12 months and could help Norwalk and the others better understand whether their work environments contributed to their cancers.

But the investigation ended before it began. Records now show that NC State “advised” in November and again in January that it no longer needed the CDC’s help, according to an email from the CDC explaining the situation. Because NC State is a public institution, the CDC said it did not have the authority to continue its investigation without the university’s cooperation.

The university did not make the change public, but said it had hired a consulting firm to conduct more comprehensive testing. According to a statement from the university, NC State will use the tests to “make decisions about remediation of any PCB sources” in Poe Hall.

The change meant the end of the only investigation into the health of people who had spent time in Poe Hall.

In January, Norwalk contacted NIOSH for an update on the HHE and learned the news.

5 On Your Side began gathering information to better understand the potential health crisis after NC State refused to seek the same information from alumni and staff who were actively trying to report the crisis.

A few days later, faculty members in the College of Education, citing the WRAL report, called on the College Coordinating Committee to issue a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Randy Woodson, Vice Chancellor Warwick Arden and Dean of Education Paola Sztajn over their handling of Poe Hall.

A total of 65 of the 99 full-time faculty members voted. Most voters expressed no confidence in Chancellor Woodson and Arden. Dean Sztajn narrowly escaped with 49 percent.

WRAL reported the results of the vote Monday afternoon. Shortly before 9 p.m. that same day, NC State requested the HHE again.

“We will have a team in place to assist us with HHE,” a North Carolina State University attorney wrote to the CDC.

The re-requested HHE was a small triumph for Norwalk and hundreds of other workers and students who had expressed concern about NC State’s transparency regarding Poe Hall and its willingness to allow outside agencies to investigate the building and the illnesses.

“They did the right thing, what they should have done all along,” Norwalk said.

More than 200 people have told WRAL they have been diagnosed with cancer in the past four months after spending time at Poe Hall.

The most common diagnosis is breast cancer. Others not included in the WRAL News count have reported miscarriages, tumors and neurological problems. All are still waiting for more information on what substances they may have been exposed to. Chancellor Woodson said he would not comment on health concerns or health recommendations until the university completes testing of the building.

Last week, the university announced that the results of the recent building tests would be released in the next few weeks. It reminded the NC State community that the building tests were very different from the HHE tests and advised readers that the CDC cannot publicly comment on an open investigation. Although the CDC cannot comment on open investigations, it told WRAL that NC State is able to do so.

“There are no restrictions or policies that prevent an organization or company involved in a NIOSH HHE from sharing information about the HHE,” a CDC spokesperson wrote.

When WRAL reached out to NC State for comment, an NC State spokesperson wrote, “The university will update its community on any updates as needed.”

Hundreds of NC State parents, students and staff reached out to WRAL News for updates. Many say they have not heard back from NC State.

“We would like to know what our next step should be,” wrote one parent whose daughter studied at Poe Hall for three years.

“Please let me know if you have any updates on the investigation,” wrote another.

“How do we get information?” asked a woman whose husband is battling cancer.

Others who do not live in the area complained that the university only alerted students and staff about the toxic chemicals they found in Poe Hall. Former students who live in other parts of the country said they had no idea about the situation until newspaper articles were sent to them.

“We heard about this from WRAL,” wrote a former student battling an immune disorder.

On Tuesday, the College Coordinating Committee will hold a virtual meeting about Poe Hall, moderated by university staff member Dr. Bradly Davis. Davis was hired by the university last year to “solve problems constructively” and provide conflict and negotiation training. The meeting announcement noted that Davis would not provide “guidance” or “legal” advice.

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