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Sewanee University of the South Mold Lawsuit
We represent the students who were harmed by toxic mold and unsafe housing conditions in the dorms.
Image by Amanda, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
WE ARE ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR SEWANEE HOUSING CONDITIONS
Sewanee Prioritized Prestige Over Student Safety
Parents who pay over $75,000 per year for tuition, room, and board trust that an elite university will provide a safe environment for their children. This fundamental trust was betrayed when the Sewanee, School of the South, knowingly boarded students in a sickening, mold-infested dormitory.
As part of our commitment to representing victims of toxic housing conditions living in campus dormitories, Just Well Law, in partnership with Davis & Davis Attorneys at Law, is bringing claims against Sewanee after our investigation unmasked a pattern of institutional neglect where the university ignored documented hazards, permanently locked contaminated rooms without making repairs, and filled the building again with unsuspecting students.
A Pattern of Institutional Disregard
The lawsuit involving Johnston Hall highlights a pattern of institutional disregard that began as early as January 2024, when it was forced to evacuate students from due to black mold. Instead of addressing the root cause, Sewanee allegedly locked the contaminated rooms and filled the dormitory with a new class of freshmen just months later. Students reported walls so wet that posters would not stick and humidity levels as high as 82 percent, creating a greenhouse environment where toxic mold flourished.
Lab tests revealed extraordinary findings: over 224,000 spores per cubic meter of Aspergillus/Penicillium. This is more than 2,000 times the levels typically found in outdoor air. Despite these hazardous conditions, university personnel reportedly dismissed student concerns as “just dirt” or the “mountain flu,” forcing residents to stay in a building that was unfit for human habitation.
Your Symptoms are Evidence
We view your health markers as biological evidence of institutional indifference. If you lived in Johnston Hall and experienced the “Johnston Cough,” you may have been afflicted by toxins causing Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) or neurological injury. We look for these specific indicators:
- Neurological Decline: Severe brain fog, slowed processing speed, or sudden irritability followed by memory lapses.
- Autoimmune & Systemic Disruption: POTS-like episodes involving racing heart or dizziness, sudden hair loss, or unexplained rashes.
- Respiratory Distress: Chronic coughing, chest tightness, and a level of fatigue so profound that routine rest cannot fix it.
- Sensory Changes: Blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and recurring sinus infections that only improve when you leave the mountain.
The Rot Within the Prestige
Sewanee, University of the South allowed Johnston Hall to become a breeding ground for mold. The administration ignored severe environmental hazards for years, resulting in its residents giving a pervasive, bloody cough its own name: the "Johnston Cough."
Our mission is to serve as the voice for students who were told their symptoms were merely "allergies" while their health was being dismantled by the air they were forced to breathe. We are holding Sewanee accountable for this institutional betrayal.
View the full claim: Bandy et al. v. Sewanee, University of the South
Who We Are
We represent sick clients against the companies and institutions that made them sick.
Kristina Baehr
Kristina Baehr is a national trial lawyer and the founder of Just Well, a law firm dedicated to justice and wellness. She represents families poisoned in their own homes, schools, and communities — taking on corporations and governments that made them sick.
A Princeton and Yale Law graduate, Kristina rose to partner at a national trial firm, helping clients recover over $1 billion against Big Pharma and Big Tech before serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Army, Air Force, and VA.
After her own family was harmed by toxic exposure, she founded Just Well to fight for others. Today, her team leads landmark cases for families impacted by toxic mold, contaminated soil and water, and gas and chemical exposure.
Chris LaCour
Chris LaCour is a partner, seasoned litigator, and 20-year Army veteran who represents sick people against the companies who made them sick. He began his military career as an artillery officer before becoming a Judge Advocate, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan and advising senior military commanders across the globe.
Chris served as lead counsel in complex litigation for the U.S. Army, from defending soldiers across Europe, Asia, and Hawaii to managing all personal injury litigation nationwide against the Army while stationed in D.C.
Before coming to Just Well, Chris was both a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Dept. of Justice and senior complex litigator for USAA, where he handled cases of national significance. Licensed in Texas and Colorado, Chris draws on this unique background to help individuals and families pursue justice with strength and precision.
Jessica Yaeger
Jessica Yaeger, Managing Attorney at Just Well Law, combines sharp legal strategy with a deep commitment to client wellness. Licensed in Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois, Jessica leads the firm’s operations with precision and care, ensuring every case is handled with compassion and strength.
A graduate of LSU Law with clerkship experience in federal court, Jessica has led teams of attorneys, earned recognition for her pro bono work, and remains active in Austin’s legal community through CATLA, TTLA, and the Barbara Jordan Inn of Court. At Just Well Law, Jessica shares the firm’s founding conviction: that justice begins with wellness, and that families deserve advocates who understand how exposure to environmental toxins disrupts every aspect of life. Her leadership harmonizes empathy with strategic excellence, amplifying the firm’s ability to fight for clients’ recovery and well-being.
Andy Davis
Andrew “Andy” Peters Davis grew up around the law, but his practice is defined by more than pedigree—it’s about people. After studying law abroad in Australia and Europe and earning his J.D. from California Western School of Law in San Diego, Andy returned home to Tennessee to fight for his community. He cut his teeth in the courtroom, winning his first six jury trials and earning verdicts far greater than the settlements offered.
Recognized among The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Andy has built a reputation as a lawyer who listens, prepares, and never backs down. Whether it’s a personal injury case or a criminal defense, clients know he treats their fight like his own—with compassion, persistence, and a commitment to justice.
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