Knoxville — A UT student says mold was growing in her dorm room all semester, making her sick.
She lived at Clement Hall until last week, when the University relocated her.
It's the latest mold issue on campus.
The University recently moved every student out of Laurel Hall and closed it for the year to remove mold.
The University relocated 586 students.
Freshman Emma Thomas and her roommate now live in Orange Hall because they found what they believed to be mold in their room in Clement.
"I got sick about 4 or 5 times in about two months," Thomas said. "My roommate starting experiencing dizzy spells and headaches. And so, we both took our fair share of trips to the doctor--paying plenty of money."
Thomas called maintenance.
"They looked at our vent and they told us that is completely normal," Thomas said. "That's what every vent on campus looks like. It's completely healthy. We can just wipe it off and you can go about your day."
Thomas claims, this semester, she has been to the doctor multiple times with a constant sore throat, stuffy nose and other symptoms.
"Honestly, if you find mold in your room, get out," Thomas said. "Because I did a lot of research while this whole process was going on and the effects it can have long term or short term are awful."
She said the doctors tested for Strep, Mono and other common ailments but none were positive.
Thomas says she was missing class because she was sick, and her parents weren't happy.
"My parents talked to housing multiple times," Thomas said.
After UT relocated the Laurel Hall students, it tested all residence halls for mold.
As of October 19th, it said testing indicated seven rooms among 367 tested had elevated levels of mold.
At least one of those rooms was in Clement Hall.
There are no plans to relocate any of those residents.
Meanwhile, Thomas she advises any concerned students to take action.
"Honestly, if you find mold in your room, get out," Thomas said. "Because I did a lot of research while this whole process was going on and the effects it can have long term or short term are awful."
The University said in a statement:
We encourage any student with maintenance concerns to submit a University Housing maintenance request or speak with their residence hall staff.
If a student has health concerns, they should contact their hall director to discuss alternate housing options. Additionally, we encourage them to visit the Student Health Center if they need to be seen by a medical professional.
The University Housing maintenance team continues to work to address maintenance requests in all residence halls.
Thomas said since she moved to a new dorm Friday, she hasn't had any of the same medical problems she's faced this semester.