The Tipp City Exempted Village Schools Board of Education faces legal action claiming the board violated the Ohio Open Meetings Act.
The complaint was filed in Miami County Common Pleas Court by Open Government Advocates and Brian Ames. Open Government Advocates is a nonprofit organization that says it works for transparency in government. The organization’s address is listed as Mogadore, Ohio, which is near Akron.
The complaint was filed against the Board of Education and members in 2023 including Amber Drum, Richard Mains Sr., Joellen Heatherly, Theresa Dunaway and Anne Zakkour. Heatherly was appointed late in the year to complete the term of former board President Simon Patry, who resigned in September. Heatherly left office at the end of the year as did Zakkour and Dunaway, whose board terms expired.
Aaron Moran, Tipp City schools superintendent, said Tuesday the district would have no comment on the legal action.
In the complaint, Open Government Advocates claims that the board of education states in its policies that the board will provide notice of the time, place and purpose of special meetings and post notice of special meetings on its website.
However, the complaint alleges, the board “rarely posts notice of its special meetings on its website.” It further claims the board held special meetings in February, June, August, September and October 2023 but either did not post notice of the meeting on its website or the purpose of some of those special meetings.
“The board’s special meeting notices do not inform the public of the purpose of the board’s special meetings. Thus, the board has routinely and habitually held numerous unlawful special meetings over the last two years. The Board has violated the Open Meetings Act,” the lawsuit alleges.
The court is asked to issue an injunction against the board engaging in future violations and award attorney fees and court costs.
