Former student sues college for $100,000,000 following cancer diagnosis from alleged chemical exposure
A former student is suing the Michigan State University (MSU) for a whopping $100 million amid a cancer diagnosis.
LingLong Wei, who moved from China to the US to study, worked as a research assistant at MSU from 2008 to 2011 while also doing a master's degree at the educational institution.
The 41-year-old filed a lawsuit against MSU earlier this month after claiming she developed thyroid cancer because of the exposure to hazardous chemicals during her work there.
The lawsuit claims Wei was told to travel to an off-site field to spray herbicides and pesticides - 'including, glyphosate, and oxyfluorfen which have been specifically linked to thyroid cancer' - without the appropriate training. This was allegedly a job that could last up to eight hours per day.
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"While spraying these toxic chemicals, the wind would often blow the chemicals into Ms. Wei’s face," the lawsuit states. "Ms. Wei was exposed to hazardous pesticides for over 7,000 hours, unprotected and untrained."
Wei began experiencing symptoms in 2010, but the lawsuit alleges health experts told her it was because of anxiety and that her supervisors at the college assured her the chemicals she was exposed to were 'safe'.
The lawsuit continues: "Ms. Wei relied on the assurance from the program superiors and continued to spray the hazardous pesticides and herbicides without [personal protective equipment].
"Ms. Wei continued to experience symptoms but feared speaking up for herself due to intimidation and hostile treatment from superiors in the program."
While MSU is unable to going into details due the legal nature of the case, spokesperson Amber McCann said: "Appropriate and required training and necessary personal protective equipment is provided in compliance with applicable university policies and state and federal laws."
Wei say she is now in remission after being diagnosed with cancer in 2024, and she recently spoke at a press conference in Lansing about the challenges she has faced.
She explained: "My recovery journey has been very challenging. After undergoing my thyroid cancer surgery, I did have to adjust to taking medication every day to regulate my hormone levels.
"I will need to take thyroid pills every day for the rest of my life. I will live with my permanent scar, and I will have to always struggle against depression because of hormone imbalances."
UNILAD has reached out to Michigan State University for further comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Callum Jones