TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More state workers in Tallahassee are claiming the building they work in has made them ill. The case could serve as a wake-up call for how the state goes about housing workers around Florida.
The lawsuit against the property managers of a building housing 1,500 state employees is getting bigger. Sixty-four more people allege that the Northwood Centre is making them sick. It brings the number up to nearly 90.
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Some state employees who work for various state agencies say that mold and animal feces contributed to poor air quality and health issues.
State Rep. Alan Williams toured the building last week.
"Issues that they were having that they thought were just normal routine health issues may have been the cause of the buildings they were working at the past couple of years," Williams said.
He said it's a wake-up call for how the state treats its rented properties all over Florida.
"I think this is further reasoning that we should look at the properties we already own, or properties that we could possibly purchase, so we are not only the landlord but we are also the management company, and we're going to make sure our employees are in the best possible working condition," Williams said.
Attorney Ryan Andrews said the growing number of people joining the lawsuit shows its not a fluke.
"I think it says that this isn't just a few disgruntled people. I think it says it's a movement, and I expect the number to grow much higher than that," Andrews said.
A spokesperson for the Northwood Centre property managers maintain the building is safe.
Among those that have joined the lawsuit are some women who say their children now have breathing conditions associated with the mothers working in the building during their pregnancies.