NC State says it will process public records despite message indicating temporary pause

RALEIGH, North Carolina — A North Carolina State University spokesperson told WRAL News there would be “no interruption in receiving or processing records in May,” marking a departure from a message prior from the university’s public records office suggesting that requests “may be” processed “later than usual.” .”

Public records have played an important role in the public’s understanding of Poe Hall, an academic building that was closed last year after tests found high levels of toxic chemicals in several spaces in the building. The tests were prompted by a group of workers battling cancer who complained to several outside agencies, including the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency.

As a public institution, NC State is required to respond to requests for records in a timely manner. WRAL News has filed more than 15 requests regarding Poe Hall. In some cases, the university has taken up to five months to respond to requests, but some requests remain unmet.

Concern about possible additional delays was sparked by a message sent this week by the NC State records office in response to a recent records request. The message indicated that the office would be closed the week of May 20-27, 2024 and would resume operations on Tuesday, May 28.

An NC State spokesperson told 5 On Your Side the “confusion” stemmed from an employee in the office taking vacation the same week. The spokesperson told WRAL 5 On Your Side the office will continue to process and receive without interruption. When WRAL 5 On Your Side filed a records request later in the week, the outgoing message had changed, saying the office would only be closed on major holidays.

WRAL 5 On Your Side has received more than 190 cancer reports from people who worked or studied at Poe Hall. The university says it is testing the building to determine if there is a link between cancer cases and the building. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a separate investigation.

NC State has yet to respond to several public records requests regarding Poe Hall, some of which were filed months ago. NC State blamed the delay on “a large number of complex requests.” NC State says records requests can take up to a year, much longer than the typical time frame.