Bats in president's attic generate flap in Ohio college town

April 2, 2015 at 12:59 a.m. | Updated April 2, 2015 at 1:05 a.m.

by Associated Press

In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, Ohio University senior Ryant Taylor fires up the crowd gathered in front of the president’s former residence during a campus rally to protest the university moving President Roderick McDavis to a home off campus. McDavis and his wife relocated last month because of a bat infestation at the century-old house on campus. (AP Photo/Mitch Stacy)
In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, Ohio University senior Ryant Taylor fires up the crowd gathered in front of the president’s former residence during a campus rally to protest the university moving President Roderick McDavis to a home off campus. McDavis and his wife relocated last month because of a bat infestation at the century-old house on campus. (AP Photo/Mitch Stacy)

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) - Bats are the talk of one Ohio college town after an infestation of the winged vermin drove the university president and his wife out of their on-campus home last month.

Ohio University President Roderick McDavis moved off campus to a posh suburban rental a few weeks ago after his wife had a surprise encounter with a bat that resulted in a fall and a broken ankle.

Now university officials are talking about spending $1.2 million to buy the new house and mothballing the old one.

Many are seeing that as a waste of precious higher-education dollars done without input from the community and the university's 20,000 students. Several hundred students turned out for a rally this week to protest the move.

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