SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego State University student's family says mold in a campus dorm room made their daughter sick throughout her freshman year — and now they want the school to return the money she paid to live there.
Isabella Villegas was excited to start college at SDSU last fall. The La Mesa freshman wanted the full on-campus experience and moved into Zura Hall in August. Shortly after moving in, her parents say she began getting sick.
"From a cold, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, a cough, she was waking up with migraine," said Shannon Villegas, Isabella's mom.
About a month after moving in, her parents say Isabella noticed what appeared to be mold inside her dorm room. They shared videos and pictures of the vents in her room with ABC 10News. They believe the mold was making her sick, and say doctors agreed.
"When she was home, she could breathe. She wasn't stuffed up. She wasn't waking up with headaches, so it was clear that every time she would go back there, she was immediately sick," said Villegas.
Her parents showed me her medical bills, which included several emergency room and urgent care visits. As time passed, they say Isabella's condition worsened.
"It ended up with peritonsillar abscesses that she had to have a surgery on and then an emergency tonsillectomy," said Villegas.
Isabella moved out in February, and her parents say her health has improved significantly. But she remains tied to her lease at SDSU, and her family wants the school to return the rent money she paid throughout the year.
"She's paying out of her own pocket because she wanted the full college experience, so she's out thousands of dollars," said Villegas.
ABC 10News reached out to San Diego State University about Isabella's case, and they sent us the following statement:
"Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) privacy law, we are unable to discuss specific details about an individual student’s situation. However, we can share context and general information about our processes.
SDSU received three service requests during the fall semester related to a concern about possible mold in the residential unit. In all instances, the space was inspected and serviced. Findings determined that the condition observed was suspected microbial growth from dust and moisture, which can happen when the AC is running while the window is left open. The affected area was cleaned during each service and the filter was replaced during one of the visits to further address the issue. Given the continued concern, an additional third-party inspection was then conducted; the formal report confirmed that no mold was present in the unit. Documentation of these findings was provided directly to the residents via their SDSU email accounts.
SDSU takes reports of potential environmental concerns, including suspected mold, very seriously. When mold is suspected, residents are instructed to submit a service request through the Housing Portal. Each report is promptly reviewed, and inspections are conducted in coordination with Housing Facilities Services and, when appropriate, Environmental Health and Safety.
Regarding student housing license agreements, SDSU provides a contract release request process [housing.sdsu.edu] to request release from their housing license agreement. Requests, including those based on medical circumstances, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and require appropriate supporting documentation. Students seeking medical accommodations are also referred to Student Disability Services to determine whether reasonable housing accommodations can be provided. If the university is unable to meet a documented accommodation need, a release from the housing agreement may be considered. Without an approved cancellation, the housing license agreement remains in effect."
Isabella's parents say they have followed every step to be released from the housing agreement, including submitting medical documentation, but have not received a response.
"They basically have ghosted us and just kind of just slowballed us the whole way through so far, and we've heard nothing," said Dre Villegas, Isabella's dad.
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