Liberty Mutual office building in Plano, Texas. Credit; JHVEPhoto/Adobe Stock
Ashtabula Area City School District in Ohio has filed a lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Insurance alleging the carrier refused to pay claims for a roof collapse at Lakeside High School last year.
The damages stem from a December 2024 snowstorm that displaced 900 students and 100 staff members, with the high school building remaining structurally unsafe and unusable.
“The students are still scattered across three buildings, learning without science labs, gymnasiums or auditoriums, it's been devastating for them,” said Lisa Newsome, superintendent of the Ashtabula Area City School District.
“The high school building continues to deteriorate, exposed to the elements for months, causing additional damage and environmental hazards,” she added. “The school district is obligated under state law to provide a clean, safe environment for students. With the building being uncovered and deteriorating, the district cannot meet these legal requirements while Liberty Mutual continues to delay payment.”
The lawsuit alleges unfair claims practices by Liberty Mutual, according to Merlin Law Group, including the insurer's refusal to take responsibility for early decisions, such as authorizing demolition of the classroom portion of the building.
“The school district has taken every step to resolve this matter and to cooperate with the claims process, but Liberty Mutual's continued refusal to honor its policy obligations has forced the district into litigation,” said W. Anthony Loe, lead counsel with Merlin Law Group.
“The school district trusted Liberty Mutual to do the right thing and relied on them to assess the damage and make an appropriate payment,” he continued. “From the start, it's been a battle to get the insurer to honor its obligations. This is a total failure on Liberty Mutual's part to do what's right for these students and this community.”
Liberty Mutual's experts have consistently downplayed the extent of structural damage, the law firm says, attributing the collapse to pre-existing infrastructure problems rather than the snowstorm, despite independent engineering assessments concluding otherwise. At the same time, 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.
Meanwhile, a Liberty Mutual Insurance spokesperson told PropertyCasualty360.com that the carrier does not comment publicly on legal matters.
Impact on students and community as listed by Merlin Law Group
The displacement has had severe consequences for the educational environment. Lakeside High School students have been relocated to a former elementary school building that lacks the necessary facilities for high school education:
- 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.
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