by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

In January of 2024 two students on the first floor of Johnson Hall dormitory complained of mold in their room. The two young women were evacuated. The University hoped this was the end of a troubling circumstance, but it was just the beginning. The above information is from a lawsuit filed in Franklin County Circuit Court Sept. 23, 2025, alleging, “Sewanee continued to place freshmen into Johnson Hall — a dorm long known for its infestation with toxic mold — causing life-changing illness to many of the students entrusted in their care.”

Seven students and their parents are named in the lawsuit, six families from Tennessee and one from Texas: Elizabeth Grace Bandy, Lily Bowers, Jenna Ballard, Hannah Crawley, Hollyn Fox, Abigail Lee, and Cassandra Nicotera.

The lawsuit states that in the fall of 2024 the University continued to assign incoming freshman to the Johnson Hall women’s dormitory, built in 1926 and designed to house 56 students. However, no students were lodged in the first-floor room that generated mold complaints in January or in a third-floor room reported to have similar problems.

University Director of Risk Management Chris Smith assessed complaints of mold in Johnson Hall that fall and concluded the substance observed was “just dirt” and attributed high humidity in a room to an open window. Robert Bandy from Davidson County, Tennessee, paid his daughter Elizabeth a visit. He observed the mold firsthand and demanded a mold inspection. Tennessee Mold Inspectors (TMI), certified in residential mold inspection, reported “Penicillium/Aspergillus inside Liza [Bandy] and Hollyn’s [Fox] room were hazardous to human health, effectively 2,264 times higher than those found outside … This space is not safe for human occupation.” The University evacuated Johnson Hall.

The lawsuit maintains University Health Services attributed Johnson Hall students’ complaints to allergies. Multiple symptoms reported by the students and consistent with toxic exposure to mold include: wheezing, brain fog, extreme fatigue, nose bleeds, congestion, fever, and coughing. According to the student newspaper, The Purple, the “Johnson cough” was well known to upperclassman.

Following the evacuation, in a Zoom meeting Provost Scott Wilson told parents of Johnson Hall students, “While our initial understanding was this ‘might be a single incident, we began to think this was a systemic issue beginning on Thursday [Oct. 3, 2024, the date of the mold inspection].”

The lawsuit seeks monetary relief in excess of $20 million, as well as punitive damages. Asked to respond to the lawsuit, Wilson issued the following statement on behalf of the University: “The University will closely review the claims made in this filing. While the University does not comment on the details of ongoing legal issues, we are confident the facts in this matter demonstrate our deep commitment to the well-being of our students, including to ensuring the health and safety of our residence halls.”

Subsequent to the TMI report, Johnson Hall underwent extensive remediation. Wilson offered details. “As part of the Johnson Hall renovations, all carpet was replaced with luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring in the hallways, common areas, and all resident rooms. Wallpaper was removed from the interior side of exterior walls. Every air-conditioning unit was cleaned by a manufacturer’s certified contractor. The drop ceiling tiles were removed and replaced. After the wallpaper had been removed, carpet replaced with luxury vinyl plank, and ceiling tiles replaced, the building was thoroughly cleaned by a third-party professional cleaning company. Finally, the air quality was tested prior to the building being deemed ready for occupancy.”

Students were again lodged in Johnson Hall beginning in January 2025.

[Note: Four more students signed onto the lawsuit Oct. 3, 2025, Reagan Nash, Alexa Bailey, Camille Gander, and Ava Hines. Davis & Davis law firm in Winchester has joined with Just Well Law in representing the plaintiffs.]