University of Iowa sued for negligence after student found unresponsive during 2019 polar vortex
Published: Aug. 9, 2020 at 6:45 AM CDT
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The mother of an 18-year-old University of Iowa student who froze to death on the university’s campus is suing the school for negligence. The lawsuit contends Gerald Michael Belz, of Cedar Rapids, was unable to get into his residence hall on the night of Jan. 29, 2019, when wind chills were 51 degrees below zero. The lawsuit says the university locked all exterior doors to Burge Hall to prevent pipes from freezing but did not alert residents to the change in normal procedures. Belz was found unresponsive the next day. His death was ruled an accident. The university declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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