OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Evergreen State College Board of Trustees authorized spending up to $1 million from its contingency fund for expenses associated with a carbon monoxide poisoning death of a student in December.
That will include spending approximately $900,000 to pay for upgrades and deferred maintenance of student housing.
The Board unanimously approved authorizing the college's president or a designee the authority to spend the money on Monday. The contingency fund currently holds $5.8 million.
Other expenditures include $30,000 for "communications and overtime," $20,000 for the cost of the investigation and $1,500 to provide temporary housing.
One student died and two others were hospitalized after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning inside a student housing unit. A college police officer was also hospitalized.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, the officer broke down the door to the housing unit around 8:30 p.m. The officer attempted to perform CPR on the unresponsive student.
The Thurston County Coroner identified the student who died as 21-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez of Dupont.
According to previous information from the college, earlier that day, a contractor working on campus in an area of housing called the Modular Apartments responded to carbon monoxide alarms.
“This is a tragedy, and we grieve for our students and families,” Evergreen President John Carmichael said in a press release. “The safety of students, staff and faculty remain Evergreen’s top priority.”
A college spokesperson said every living unit on campus has smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation.
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