Campus Workers Fear Contagion as Colleges Seek Legal Immunity

Custodian Jennifer Allen never left the University of Memphis when the coronavirus outbreak forced campuses to shut down in March and everyone around her left for online classes and virtual offices. Allen has been deep-cleaning libraries and other campus buildings for the past six months.

Now, with the start of the fall semester weeks away, Allen and others who scrub classrooms, staff dining halls, and operate other campus facilities say colleges planning to resume in-person instruction haven’t done enough to ensure the health and safety for those on the job.

“I feel like they shouldn’t be letting these students come ...