The battle over the roof at Lakeside High School in Ashtabula County has now turned into a lawsuit, with the district taking action over what it says is Liberty Mutual Insurance Company's refusal to pay the claim for repairs following a roof collapse nearly a year ago.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division. You can read it below:
Around Thanksgiving 2024, a winter snowstorm blanketed the 17-year-old school with several feet of snow, and the roof collapsed under the weight.
The Merlin Law Group filed a lawsuit Monday, stating that the 1,000 students and staff members remain displaced as the "high school building remains structurally unsafe and unusable."
"The lawsuit alleges unfair claims practices by Liberty Mutual, including the insurer's refusal to take responsibility for early decisions, such as authorizing demolition of the classroom portion of the building. Liberty’s unilateral decision to demolish portions of the high school has caused additional damage to the school, leaving the building exposed to the elements for months and creating serious environmental concerns and further deterioration," the law firm said.
Due to the displacement, students and staff had to be relocated to a former elementary school that the school district said doesn't meet their needs:
- No science laboratories for hands-on learning
- No gymnasium, forcing all athletics to be held at other locations
- No auditorium, preventing plays, assemblies and other school events
- Teachers forced to cart their materials from classroom to classroom
- Teaching staff and Board of Education completely displaced
Back in April, News 5's Clay LePard visited the school as engineers with the district recommended tearing down the entire academic wing and starting from the footers.
Watch:
RELATED: Engineers recommend tear down at Lakeside High School following roof collapse
The roof collapse wasn't the first issue the district had with the building.
Back in 2011, the school district sued the original builders, the now-defunct Blaze Construction, over poor workmanship and a roof that leaked almost immediately. That case settled with the district receiving about $3 million.
According to the Merlin Law Group, "Liberty Mutual's experts have consistently downplayed the extent of structural damage, attributing the collapse to pre-existing infrastructure problems rather than the snowstorm, despite independent engineering assessments concluding otherwise. Liberty Mutual has refused to accept the district's expert findings and correct its position."
Ballot measure aims to bridge gap with lawsuit
As the lawsuit continues, voters on Tuesday are set to weigh in on what needs to be done with the school.
Issue 34 asks voters to vote on a 3.82 mill levy. If approved, it would allow the district to begin work on Lakeside High School as negotiations and the lawsuit with Liberty Mutual continues.
"In order to proceed with reconstruction work, the bond issue would authorize bonds to fund and commence work now. Otherwise the district does not possess the funds to move forward and would be required to wait until the claim is litigated or settled, which could delay reconstruction for years,"the district's website explains.
To learn more about the measure, click here.
In an email to News 5, a Liberty Mutual spokesperson said the company did not comment publicly on legal matters.
