The battle to prevent independent testing of N.C. State’s Poe Hall continues. Documents filed earlier this week reveal that attorneys for the university are petitioning the state’s highest court to reverse a lower court's order that would allow outside access to the building.

On Thursday, the State Supreme Court decided that independent testers would not be allowed to test Poe Hall until the high court makes a decision.

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This marks the second time N.C. State has challenged a superior court’s decision to permit independent testing of Poe Hall, a building hundreds of people believe may have caused or contributed to their cancers.

The plaintiff, Darren Masier, obtained his doctorate at N.C. State in 2014. He told WRAL 5 On Your Side that he spent years studying and teaching in Poe Hall. He, along with another colleague, was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

In November, N.C. State closed the former education and psychology hall after testing revealed high levels of toxic chemicals in various parts of the building. Documents given exclusively to 5 On Your Side show the testing was done at the behest of a group of workers battling breast cancer.

The chemicals found in Poe Hall, PCBs, are a likely carcinogen. As part of an independent journalistic investigation, 5 On Your Side began tracking the number of cancer cases in people who worked or studied in the building. To date, 209 people have reported to 5 On Your Side that they developed cancer after spending years in the building. Masier is one of the people reporting.

In December, N.C. State’s attorneys hired consulting firm to collect additional PCB samples at Poe Hall. The goal of the testing, according to N.C. State, is to better understand the environment of the building. However, Masier and others have told 5 On Your Side that they don’t trust the testing done by N.C. State and want independent sampling of the building to better understand what they may have been exposed to.

Some scientists who study PCBs have called N.C. State’s PCB testing inadequate. Records show N.C. State either denied or delayed the CDC, EPA, and state health department access to Poe Hall.

In May, a superior court judge ruled in favor of Masier’s petition to test Poe Hall and depose key N.C. State leaders. The decision would force N.C. State to open Poe Hall’s doors to outsiders for the first time. The information gained through testing and depositions could pave the way for lawsuits filed against the university. N.C. State appealed the superior court’s decision.

In June, a panel of appellate court judges ruled that Masier’s team could test Poe Hall but could not take depositions. Later that month, N.C. State appealed to the state supreme court and is now asking the court to put in place a full stay on any pre-suit discovery, including testing and depositions.

You can find complete and comprehensive coverage of the Poe Hall investigation on pugongyingbo.com.