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State workers for agencies like the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Department of Children and Families say one of the Tallahassee buildings they work in is in disrepair and is making people ill. As Matt Galka tells us, some of the workers are now coming forward and joining a lawsuit against the property manager.

Imagine going to work every day, but your workplace is making you physically ill. That’s what some state workers are alleging in a lawsuit they filed against the owners of Northwood Centre.

“Pictures of mold have come into my office, pictures of raw sewage, bat feces,” said attorney Ryan Andrews.

Andrews says he’s hearing from new workers every day that said the building has been causing them a variety of illnesses. Northwood Centre houses seven different state agencies and employs about 1500 state workers.

“People are going there every single day and are still very, very sick. They’ve exhausted their sick leave and have no other choice but to go to work,” said Andrews.

In the latest budget signed by the Governor there’s a provision that says the state will no longer make lease payments after July 1^st.

DBPR secretary Ken Lawson was ordered to stay away from his own office earlier this month. The reason? 10 pounds of bat guano was discovered above his desk.

All of the 1500 employees in the building will be moving out in the coming months.

A spokesman for the owners and managers of Northwood Centre released the following statement in response to the allegations:

“The owners and managers of Northwood Centre place an overarching priority on the health, safety and wellbeing of  anyone who works or visits the property.  In the past year, we have conducted a wide range of environmental tests of Northwood Centre and have found no evidence of widespread issues that would affect public health.  We are in the process of conducting additional environmental tests and based on the scientific evidence resulting from those tests, we will be developing a plan to move forward with any needed corrections.