Institute lost decades of research when janitor turned off freezer, lawsuit states

Freezer off lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has filed a lawsuit against Daigle Cleaning Systems Inc. 
• Why: The institute claims a “special needs” worker with Daigle Cleaning Systems accidentally turned off a freezer in a lab the company was contracted to clean, destroying decades of “groundbreaking” research worth in excess of $1 million. 
• Where: Rensselaer Polytechnic is located in Troy, New York.

A janitor working for Daigle Cleaning Systems has been accused of destroying decades of “groundbreaking” research by allegedly turning off a lab freezer while attempting to stop an “annoying” beeping noise. 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute filed a lawsuit against the cleaning company it said had been contracted to clean the Cogswell Cleaning Lab for more than 20 years, starting in August 2000 and ending Nov. 27, 2020, reports NBC News. 

The lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month in Rensselaer County, accuses Daigle Cleaning Systems’ employee of accidentally turning off a freezer containing a number of samples and cell cultures in September 2020. 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute argues the freezer was set to -80 degrees Celsius, and that even a fluctuation of three degrees would cause “catastrophic damage” to its contents, which were part of potentially groundbreaking research, reports NBC News. 

Institute places blame solely on Daigle Cleaning Systems, says suit

Researchers claim that, upon returning to the lab the morning after the freezer was allegedly turned off, the temperature had risen all the way to -32 Celsius, creating a “point of destruction” for the research samples. 

The Daigle Cleaning Systems worker is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, on account of him being considered “a person with special needs” by Rensselaer Polytechnic, according to the lawsuit, reports NBC News. 

Instead of blaming the worker, the school is reportedly arguing that Daigle Cleaning Systems bears responsibility for the incident by allegedly not properly training them. 

While no specific amount in damages has been requested, the researchers claim the value of the samples and cultures allegedly destroyed in the incident totals more than $1 million, reports NBC News. 

In another case involving a laboratory, Impax Laboratories — which is now part of Amneal Pharmaceuticals — agreed to pay $4.8 million in 2017 to resolve claims the company sent unsolicited fax advertisements to consumers without consent. 

Do you believe Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute should be compensated for its allegedly lost samples? Let us know in the comments!

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