Lakeview residents have filed a lawsuit against Mayor Elaine Fagan-Moore, seeking her removal from office. The lawsuit, backed by 143 local voters, accuses Fagan-Moore of neglecting her duties and violating state laws since she took office in January 2024.
The main complaint is about her handling of the Lakeview Fire Department during the aftermath of the March 14, 2024 tornado. The lawsuit claims Fagan-Moore’s decisions made disaster relief efforts more difficult and led to poor management within the fire department. This has resulted in increased insurance rates and slower emergency response times.
The suit also criticizes Fagan-Moore for excluding the public from important meetings and failing to follow open meeting laws. Additionally, it alleges that she created a hostile work environment for firefighters and mismanaged village council decisions.
Attorney Tim Steinhelfer represents the residents and argues that the lawsuit is justified under a rarely used Ohio law. The case is expected to be heard within 30 days of the filing.
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A press release by Attorney Tim Steinhelfer:
Villagers of Lakeview have filed a lawsuit in the Logan County Common Pleas Court against embattled mayor Elaine Fagan-Moore seeking her removal from office. The 83-paragraph lawsuit was filed by 143 electors of the village, which has 781 registered voters, according to the most recent tally. The villagers are seeking to have Fagan-Moore removed from office, citing neglect of duties and violations of state laws since she assumed office in January 2024.
The lawsuit alleges malfeasance on the part of Fagan-Moore, primarily based on her gross mismanagement of the Lakeview Fire Department, that exacerbated disaster relief efforts during Lakeview’s recovery from the March 14, 2024, EF3 tornado that devastated the village.
The suit paints a dire picture of a tyrant who puts her own personal desire for respect above all else. In one particularly appalling act, Mayor Fagan-Moore reportedly instructed the closure of a public street on which she resides to pedestrians, despite lacking any authority to do so.
The strained relationship between Mayor Fagan-Moore and the Lakeview emergency response team became particularly evident following the devastating EF-3 tornado that struck the Indian Lake area. In a controversial move, Mayor Fagan-Moore ordered disaster relief supplies to be relocated from a readily accessible fire station to a downtown parking lot obstructed by debris, hindering relief efforts.
In April 2024, Mayor Fagan-Moore convened a meeting with limited attendance, in violation of Ohio law, that included select Village Council members, a West Liberty pastor, the village solicitor, who has since resigned, certain firefighters, and village employees. The press and public were excluded from this meeting, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. The suit alleges multiple violations of Ohio’s Open Meetings Act. Mayor Fagan-Moore allegedly conducted improper executive sessions without giving the required public notice and failed to keep accurate records of meeting minutes. Additionally, the mayor is accused of overstepping her authority in voting matters, further breaching the Ohio Revised Code governing public meetings. These actions appear to be an effort to avoid public scrutiny of her performance as mayor.
The crux of the suit centers on Fagan-Moore’s conduct with regard to the Lakeview Fire Department, which is staffed by volunteer firefighters. Many firefighters have reported experiencing harassment and bullying under her leadership, creating a hostile and unsafe working environment. Additionally, Fagan-Moore has directly delayed testing basic safety equipment for the fire department, imperiling safety and causing homeowners insurance rates in the village to increase across the board.
The culmination of these issues has led to a near-mass resignation within the Lakeview Fire Department, including its longtime veteran fire chief Norm Springs, leaving the department severely understaffed during a critical period of disaster recovery. Due to the limited staff and increased response time, homeowners’ insurance rates have increased in the village, and response times have increased, imperiling public safety.
As a result, neighboring fire departments such as Waynesfield, DeGraff, Huntsville, Russell’s Point, and Belle Center have, according to the suit, refrained from requesting mutual aid from the Lakeview Fire Department, citing decreased effectiveness, in contravention of decades-long past practices.
The situation deteriorated further in May 2024, when the Village Council, led by Mayor Fagan-Moore, voted on several matters during a session that lacked the required number of attendees, undermining the legitimacy of the decisions made. The suit further alleges that Fagan-Moore intentionally intimidated Lakeview citizens from speaking during public comments at village council meetings in violation of the First Amendment.
Complaining villagers have retained Bellefontaine attorney Tim Steinhelfer to prosecute the lawsuit. According to Steinhelfer, the suit is brought under section 3.07 of the Ohio Revised Code, an antiquated and rarely used statute that has been on the books since 1913. Under the statute, a trial must be held within thirty days of the filing of the suit, which was filed on Friday, August 9. According to Steinhelfer, this “special statutory procedure” has only successfully been used twice in the history of the state. “We know we face an uphill battle legally, but we’re confident that the statute was designed for exactly the type of egregious conduct perpetrated by Fagan-Moore. The citizens of Lakeview deserve better. I couldn’t be prouder to represent these brave citizens.”
Under the statute, the complaint must be signed by at least 15% of the number of qualified electors who voted in the last gubernatorial election. In Lakeview, that number is 48.
Lakeview residents characterize Mayor Fagan-Moore’s leadership as incompetent, disruptive, and devastating — going beyond political disagreements to a breach of statutory duties that risk the community’s safety in a time of dire need.
“It’s like we were hit by two tornadoes in one year. [Fagan-Moore] disrupted the peace in our loving community and truly has divided our town. Since the actual tornado, she has done nothing but tear our community apart bit by bit and needs to be replaced with an adequate and more capable individual with a kind and helping heart instead of a big ego using the mayor title as a power trip.” – Ella Shoffstall
“I am disturbed and disgusted at the performance of Mayor Moore.” David F. Downing Jr.
“There is no peace, just destruction. I love my community, and I’ll not allow Elaine to destroy it. We’ve been through enough.” Traci Gentis
“Since Elaine became mayor, I have been belittled, degraded, and publicly humiliated. She made against me, and I was threatened with felonies all for helping my community. I am constantly questioned about ‘stealing money from the fire department’ and called ‘queen ant’ by community members. To say it’s thankless would be an understatement. The mayor is putting our lives at risk.” -Amy Stevens
“Since she has become mayor…I’m very fearful of what is coming next. Lord help us all.” – Susy Neely
The suit seeks the immediate removal of Elain Fagan-Moore from her position as Mayor of Lakeview.
