Q: Can a university evict someone without compensation or notice for testing positive for COVID-19?
My vaccinated friend caught COVID-19, spread from an unvaccinated student, his next-door dorm neighbor. They have isolation dorms specifically to quarantine people and promised reservations for those who were vaccinated. The rooms are all full because they gave them to anyone who got sick instead of actually reserving them (in fact, the unvaccinated student who spread COVID-19 was given an isolation dorm).
The following has happened within 4 hours of testing positive:
- Dorm access revoked
- Meal plan revoked
- No compensation or aid. The housing and meals were paid for and both have been revoked.
- No contact/info/notice from the school (not prior to the events, or even currently)
He has effectively been evicted in a town his family does not live in, with no aid for food or shelter. I think it is pretty obvious he should fight this, but what is his best course of action? He is also considering going to the media; good/bad, should he wait?
A: Your friend's rights largely depend on the terms and conditions agreed to when signing up to reside in the dorm. He therefore must schedule a consultation with an attorney and present all relevant writings for review. He can click on the Justia "Find a Lawyer" tab up top or contact the Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service - www. LRS.floridabar.org . He may want to start out by contacting the administration and asking, first, what written materials they are relying on to justify the eviction, and secondly, what, if any, alternatives they can offer, including after testing negative again.
Bruce Alexander Minnick agrees with this answer
A: If your friend wants legal help the very first thing your friend MUST do is to seek legal assistance for him/herself. For reasons that should be obvious, lawyers cannot assist people through other people--unless the person is a child. And even then the child's parent is the person who can seek help their child.
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