Name: Lawsuit filed by Ashtabula Area City Schools following roof collapse
Uploaded: 2025-11-04T04:49:25.500Z
Duration: 2 min 30 s
Description: The battle over the roof at Lakeside High School in Ashtabula County has now turned into a lawsuit, with the district taking legal action over the collapse of a school roof.

The battle over the roof at Lakeside High School in Ashtabula County has now turned into a lawsuit, with the district taking legal action over the collapse of a school roof.

Ashtabula

Ashtabula Area City Schools has initiated legal action against its insurance provider, Liberty Mutual, after the roof of Lakeside High School collapsed under heavy snow nearly a year ago. The district claims the insurer is blocking a full demolition and instead pushing for repairs, despite concerns about toxins in the building's structure.

The district estimates that replacing the building could cost around $56 million and is seeking voter approval for a bond issue to access up to $30 million for reconstruction. The school community remains displaced, and no significant restoration work has begun as negotiations and legal proceedings continue.

Lawsuit filed by Ashtabula Area City Schools following roof collapse

Voters in Ashtabula County are being asked to step in and help rebuild Lakeside High School as negotiations have dragged on now with the school's insurance company for almost a year. Right after Thanksgiving, the building's roof collapsed under more than five feet of snow. Now there's a lawsuit. It's been filed against the insurance provider, and the district is hoping voters will help provide funding to get the restoration work underway. Here's News 5's Clay Lippard. It's not what you see at Lakeside High School, it's what you don't, says Superintendent Lisa Newsom. It's 11 months and there's no progress. There are construction fences, but no real work is happening right now. Almost a year ago, Lakeside High School saw the roof of its 17-year-old building collapse after more than five feet of snow piled onto it, forcing students and staff to spread out at other buildings across the district. It's a whole different type of feeling and experience to be here back again after so many years. As News 5 already reported as far back as April of this year, engineers with the district recommended demolishing the building. But the district claims in a newly filed lawsuit that Liberty Mutual has blocked a full teardown, instead pushing for a roof repair on a building that sat exposed for almost a year. Our concern is there are toxins in the concrete block walls that make up the building, and we feel those toxins have to be eliminated, and the only way to do that is to demolish the existing building. The district estimates it could cost around $56 million to replace the building. We want to make sure what we're putting the students back into is safe, and that's our number one priority. What about the builder? Back in 2011, the district sued the now-defunct company over poor workmanship, with the case settling for about $3 million. Now the district is looking for voters to help, and vote to approve a bond this election day. If the bond issue passes, it would allow the school district to access up to about $30 million to help rebuild Lakeside High School, rather than wait for insurance to come through. The issue is big in this community, in more ways than one. It's going to be two years before the building will be completed from the date we start, and they can't enter into a contract until they have those funds. News 5 emailed Liberty Mutual and was told they do not comment on pending litigation. In Ashtabula County, Clay Lippard, News 5.

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