02/21/2014

Stow school board, member settle lawsuit

From The Akron Beacon Journal The Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education said at a special meeting Monday evening that a settlement has been reached related to a lawsuit that board member Rod Armstrong had filed last year. The suit, filed June 28, alleged that the board did not follow proper procedures for certain votes and sought an injunction prohibiting the Board of Education from paying attorney fees for a levy committee. On Oct. 23, the school board filed a counterclaim against Armstrong, saying that such litigation was without just cause and the claims were vexatious. On Monday evening, board President Fred Bonacci said a settlement had been reached in both suits. Legal counsel for the respective parties released a joint statement about the agreement late Tuesday. According to the statement, "the agreement stipulates that the parties have dropped all claims against one another, preventing the matter from going to trial. Within the agreement, each individual party is also responsible for its own legal expenses." Armstrong had also filed a lawsuit against the school board on Aug. 27, 2012, in Summit County court alleging that the board broke state laws concerning open meetings and open records. The board filed a counterclaim on Sept. 10 that says Armstrong violated the district’s code of conduct by disclosing private information without proper authorization. These suits are still pending.