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Mother of Iowa student who died in freezing temps sues

The lawsuit says the university locked all exterior doors to Burge Hall to prevent freezing pipes but did not alert residents to the change in normal procedures.
Credit: WOI
Gerald Belz, 18, of Cedar Rapids died when he was unable to get into his residence hall during the 2019 polar vortex.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The mother of an 18-year-old University of Iowa student who froze to death on the university's campus is suing the school for negligence. 

The lawsuit contends Gerald Michael Belz, of Cedar Rapids, was unable to get into his residence hall on the night of Jan. 29, 2019, when wind chills were 51 degrees below zero. 

The lawsuit says the university locked all exterior doors to Burge Hall to prevent pipes from freezing but did not alert residents to the change in normal procedures.

Belz was found unresponsive the next day. His death was ruled an accident. The university declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

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