Lawsuits filed against two school districts
Apr. 4—A pair of lawsuits were filed in the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas, one against the Ashtabula Area City Schools, and one against the Grand Valley Local School District Board of Education.
Both lawsuits were filed by Brian Ames, of Randolph Township in Portage County, with the suit against GV filed on March 29 and the suit against the AACS filed on April 1.
Relating to the Ashtabula schools lawsuit, Ames filed a public records request in July 2023, seeking the district's rules for meeting notification in 2022 and 2023, policies governing the use of consent agendas, the meeting minutes for 2022 and 2023, and the district's records retention schedule, according to the civil complaint filed with the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas. The board replied four days later.
The first count in the lawsuit claims the district's policy does not include the district's website, and it failed to establish a rule for notifications of meetings, and the complaint claims the policy on notice of meetings did not have names of official newspapers, places where meetings may be held and gives no method for members of the news media to request advance notice of special meetings.
The second claim alleges the district conducted executive sessions for unapproved purposes.
The complaint cites 15 executive sessions taking place with the purpose of superintendent search, five to discuss personnel, one to discuss the purchase or sale of property, and five to discuss various legal issues. The complaint claims a variety of the reasons for going into executive session are not acceptable reasons.
The third count of the complaint alleges the minutes of the meetings do not include enough facts to permit the public to understand the rationale behind the board's decisions.
The final count takes issue with the board having taken a single vote to approve multiple agenda items, and cites instances where several items were approved by not discussed.
The complaint asks the court to compel the district to establish a rule for notification of meetings, issue an injunction to prohibit the board from entering an executive session for matters not specifically excepted by law, issue another injunction compelling the board to maintain accurate minutes, issue a third injunction prohibiting the board from approving multiple agenda items with a single vote, and ordering the district to correct its meeting minutes.
Ames is also seeking to be awarded $500 for each injunction issued, along with court costs and attorney's fees.
AACS Superintendent Lisa Newsome could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
For the Grand Valley schools, Ames sent a similar public records request to the district a day after he sent the request to the Ashtabula schools, and Ames received a response last month, according to the complaint.
The first count of the Grand Valley schools suit claims the district's policies do not include the district's website, the names of official newspapers, where meetings may be held, and how members of the media can request advance notice of special meetings.
The second count claims the district failed to properly cite the purpose of an executive session, and instead recited the list of permissible reasons to enter an executive session.
The final count claims the district failed to keep accurate minutes, stating the minutes do not include sufficient facts and information to permit the public to understand the rationale behind the board's decisions.
Similar to the Ashtabula lawsuit, the GV lawsuit asks the court to issue an injunction to compel the district to establish a rule for meeting notifications that complies with ORC, another injunction prohibiting the district from holding executive sessions for improper subjects, and issue a third and final injunction to compel the district to maintain proper minutes.
Again, as with the AACS lawsuit, Ames is seeking a $500 award for each injunction filed, along with attorney's fees.
Grand Valley Superintendent Bill Nye declined to comment until the district's legal counsel could review the lawsuit.
