LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- A nonprofit formed by Lakewood parents is suing the city’s school board, accusing it of violating Ohio’s Open Meetings Act in the lead-up to a controversial vote to close Lincoln Elementary School and consolidate Pre-K programs.

Friends of Lakewood Schools filed the complaint Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, seeking to block the closure and invalidate the board’s October 20 vote. The group accuses the Lakewood City School District Board of Education of conducting deliberations in secret — including improperly noticed executive sessions, closed-door task force meetings, and private text and email exchanges.

The case was assigned to Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams.

A Lakewood City Schools spokeswoman said the district referred the lawsuit to its lawyers and

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