Columbia Graduate Student Alleges Toxic Poisoning in Student Housing

June 1, 2001

Thursday May 31, 5:13 pm Eastern Time

Press Release

McCallion & Associates LLP Announces: Columbia Graduate Student Files

Against University

Alleges Toxic Poisoning in Student Housing

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2001--According to a complaint filed

today (#01CV4632) in United States District Court, Southern District of New

York, Columbia University was negligent in failing to adequately maintain

its student housing causing severe physical injury, debilitating illness and

permanent bodily harm to a 27 year doctoral student who lived in a

university owned and managed apartment building.

The complaint filed on behalf of Amy Frederick, a New Jersey resident, by

her attorneys, McCallion & Associates LLP, alleges that Columbia's failure

to properly maintain the Heating and Air Conditioning Unit in Ms.

Frederick's apartment lead her to be exposed to at least two extremely

hazardous forms of toxic molds. The complaint further alleges that Columbia

repeatedly failed to remove the mold after learning the condition existed.

Ms. Frederick was an outstanding student who arrived at Columbia on a

Fellowship to pursue her PH.D. in sociology. At the time Ms. Frederick moved

into university housing, in 1998 she was in excellent health, a regular

swimmer she had worked as a lifeguard, aerobics instructor and was training

for triathlons. Within a month of moving into the Riverside Drive apartment,

Ms. Frederick began to suffer from extremely grave physical symptoms

including severe nausea, blurred vision, and vasodilatation. According to

the complaint she continues to suffer from functional abnormalities of her

immune system, cognitive impairment and hypothyroidism. These are permanent

disabilities that will afflict her the rest of her life.

Ms. Frederick's attorney McCallion, of McCallion & Associates LLP is

asking in the complaint that Columbia be required to pay Ms. Frederick at

least $10,000,000 in compensatory damages as well as punitive damages

awarded at trial and the cost of a medical monitoring program for the rest

of Ms. Frederick life.

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Contact:

McCallion & Associates LLP, New York

Hynes, 646/366-0880

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