Lane College responds as more students come forward alleging poor dorm conditions

JACKSON, Tenn. — We first told you Thursday about the situation at Lane College that is impacting its students. After Thursday, we were contacted by even more students and parents with concerns.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lane College students raise concerns over dorm conditions: ‘I should have just stayed at home’

This week, we have received reports from parents and students who feel like their voices aren’t getting heard. With more people reaching out, we went back to campus for an update.

We found that students who live on campus–primarily freshman and sophomores–live with rodents, pests, and mold in their bedrooms and bathrooms.

These students have actually taken the responsibility upon themselves to keep their communal areas clean with their own cleaning supplies.

“Me and her decided to take it amongst ourselves with 80 people in the dorm, just two people decided to clean and we scrubbed the walls, we scrubbed the grit, but it’s like when we scrubbed the walls, we noticed so much debris and mold coming off the wall as if it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks,” said Desiree Bohannon, student.

Some students are also experiencing resource shortages where the alumni have now had to step up to help organize donations for things like tissue paper, paper towels, and soap.

These students met with the vice president of the college where they heard a very similar message to the statement the college sent to WBBJ on Wednesday.

“You know we got the plaques, we got a pond, but what about the dorms? And do you know what they said about the dorms? He was beating around the bush, when we had a meeting, so where’s the money going to? I feel like it’s going outside to make the outside look good, but the inside is so damaged, it’s ridiculous,” said Samia Grundy, student.

Students have also mentioned that, on top of unsanitary conditions, they are experiencing a withholding of their financial aid refunds, raw meat in the cafeteria and conflicts with security.

While some students have been brave enough to speak out, many other students feel unsafe to do so.

Lane College shared an op-ed from their president to WBBJ just before 5 p.m. Friday. View the full statement here.

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