Janitor's mistake costs university $1 million in research

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is suing Daigle Cleaning Systems for more than $1 million in damages and legal fees after a janitor shut off a lab freezer containing cell cultures and samples, which are sensitive to small temperature fluctuations, causing "catastrophic damage" and effectively demolishing more than 20 years of research. The college claims that the janitor caused the damage due to a lack of proper training and supervision by Daigle Cleaning Systems. The freezer had been set off by "annoying alarms" and was under repair, but the janitor turned off the circuit breakers that provide electricity to the freezer in an apparent attempt to help.