CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As temperatures have plummeted to around freezing during the night, many students at Johnson C. Smith University have been sleeping without heat.
A mother contacted Channel 9 after her daughter went to bed wearing layers of clothing and socks.
School officials said an “electrical switch failure” at Sanders Hall caused the heat to shut off.
Students said more than one dorm on the west Charlotte campus didn’t have heat.
However, university officials only confirmed Sanders Hall had the heating issues.
“This is a very serious matter,” mother Chrystal McPherson said.
School officials said in a statement they are prepared to hand out space heaters to those affected until the problem is fixed.
School officials initially received complaints on Monday.
“We actually said something Monday,” student Bria Agerston said. “She said they they’re working on it. No. It’s still cold. It’s freezing.”
When university officials found out about the heating problem, they filed a work order the same day.
“I’m not satisfied,” McPherson said. “I think that this is disgusting, It’s very cold.”
When McPherson found out about the heating issue, she said she called the school herself.
“These kids should not have to sleep in coats and socks, multiple blankets,” she said. “Thousand dollars a year is a lot of money for kids to go to school, and they can’t even sleep comfortably because they’re cold.”
Full statement by Johnson C. Smith: "Johnson C. Smith University facilities staff and Residence Life staff work together to address any concerns affecting the safety of our student residents.
"An independent contractor performs routine preventative maintenance on university heating and cooling systems.
"Following an extreme temperature drop earlier this week, the university received a complaint and filed a work order on Nov. 12 regarding the heat in Sanders Hall. It has been determined that the lack of heating is due to an electrical switch failure.
"The problem is projected to be resolved imminently. In the meantime, to ensure that student residents remain comfortable, Residence Life is prepared to issue space heaters to all rooms in Sanders Hall by the end of today’s cafeteria dinner hour."
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