$850,000 Settlement for Families After Daycare Asbestos Exposure

Seven Years of Uncertainty End in Settlement

Seventeen families whose children were exposed to asbestos at the University of Montana’s childcare centers have reached an $850,000 settlement with the State of Montana, closing a legal fight that began nearly seven years ago.

The settlement, finalized through mediation in December 2025 and reported publicly in January 2026, resolves claims filed by families whose children attended the ASUM childcare facilities in McGill Hall and Craighead Hall on the Missoula campus.

The children were toddlers and preschoolers at the time of exposure. They are now in middle school. None have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, but the families know that mesothelioma and other conditions linked to asbestos can take decades to appear.

What Happened

University employees first identified asbestos on the second floor of McGill Hall in December 2018. The area was sealed, but the discovery triggered broader testing.

In late January 2019, inspectors found loose asbestos fibers in the HVAC systems, on surfaces, on toys, and on tables in both McGill and Craighead Halls. The daycare was relocated the next day.

The university launched a $700,000 remediation effort to clean and test the affected buildings. Air quality testing results were made publicly available.

But for families, the damage was already a question mark. Seventeen families filed suit in May 2020, alleging that the university failed to warn them promptly and violated safety protocols during the period when their children were breathing air in those rooms.

The Settlement

The mediated settlement provides $850,000 total across the 17 families. The university admitted no wrongdoing as part of the agreement.

For the families, the money is less about compensation than about preparation. Asbestos-related diseases, particularly mesothelioma, have latency periods of 20 to 60 years. The children exposed in 2018 and 2019 won’t know for decades whether the fibers they inhaled will cause illness.

Parent Lisa Davey told KPAX that every lingering cough, every routine illness, now carries an extra layer of fear. “We don’t want this to happen to any other families,” she said, describing the settlement’s value as both financial and preventive.

Long-Term Monitoring

University spokesperson Dave Kuntz said the school has implemented enhanced safety protocols for its older buildings and continues to make air testing results publicly available. Community meetings were held during and after the remediation process.

For the families, the settlement funds may go toward lifelong medical monitoring. Regular chest imaging, pulmonologist visits, and awareness of symptoms can help detect asbestos-related conditions early, when treatment options are broader.

No new asbestos contamination has been reported at the university’s childcare facilities since the 2019 remediation.

What This Case Illustrates

The UM daycare case is part of a broader pattern of asbestos discoveries in aging institutional buildings across the country. Schools, universities, government buildings, and childcare facilities built before the 1980s may still contain asbestos in insulation, floor tiles, ceiling materials, and HVAC systems.

When these materials are disturbed during renovation, deterioration, or routine maintenance, fibers can become airborne. The EPA estimates that asbestos is still present in an estimated 107,000 schools and 733,000 public and commercial buildings in the United States.

For families concerned about potential exposure in schools or childcare settings, the EPA recommends requesting documentation of asbestos inspections and management plans, which educational institutions are required to maintain under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).