A former Michigan State grad student blamed her thyroid cancer on the school, which allegedly told her that “exposure was harmless” when she worked with various pesticides and herbicides, she and her lawyers said on Monday.
LingLong Wei was diagnosed with thyroid cancer on June 26 last year in a health downturn that’s “directly related to events that took place during her time” at MSU from 2008 and 2011 pursuing a master’s degree in horticulture, according to a lawsuit filed in Ingham County Circuit Court.
“During Ms. Wei’s field research she was required by Michigan State University to spray dangerous amounts of hazardous pesticides and herbicides,” the civil complaint said,
Wei claims she was exposed to herbicides that included paraquat dichloride, glyphosate and oxyfluorfen, which have been linked to cancer.
Wei was not properly trained or given the proper training or protective equipment to work with such dangerous chemicals, the lawsuit said.
With 20/20 hindsight, Wei blamed herself for not pushing the school for more safety protocols.
“Back then, when I was a student at MSU, I did speak up about my concerns, but no one listened,” Wei told reporters in Lansing.
“I was scared because of how the department treated me. So I did not advocate strongly (enough) for my own protection, especially things I was told everything was OK and that exposure was harmless.”
Wei, a foreign student from China, said she’s been left with a permanent scar near her throat due to her cancer and doesn’t know if she’ll be able to have children someday.
She theorized that MSU didn’t act on her concerns, assuming she’d soon be outside of the United States and thus no longer MSU’s concern.
“Too often, international students are overlooked because some assume they will return home after graduation, leaving their concerns unheard,” Wei said.
The former student’s attorney, Maya Green, said her client was woefully ill-equipped to do the work MSU had her doing.
“She was subjected to hazardous pesticides without proper gloves, without proper protective equipment, without proper respiratory masks, without proper training,” Green said.
“Ms. Wei was thrown out there to spray these pesticides and herbicides without being protected. Miss Wei was in a foreign country. Ms. Wei was speaking a foreign language, engaging in foreign activity at the disposal of Michigan State University.”
The former Michigan State student is seeking $100 million.
“Ms. Wei was constantly reassured that what she was doing was not harmful to her, and she relied on that. She relied on Michigan State University, she relied on her superiors, to her detriment.”
Michigan State spokesperson Amber McCann declined to discuss Wei’s case.
“While we cannot offer comment on pending litigation, we do want to emphasize that Michigan State University prioritizes the health and safety of our entire campus community,” McCann said.
“Appropriate and required training and necessary personal protective equipment is provided in compliance with applicable university policies and state and federal laws.”
