Lawyers Help Ohio Business Owners Organize Lawsuits Into Class Action to Take on DeWine’s Shutdown Regulations

 

Ohio business owners who are fed up with Gov. Mike DeWine’s ever-lasting shutdown regulations are joining their lawsuits together into a class action against the state.

Three lawyers are working together to help combine existing lawsuits and are looking for other owners whose livelihoods are being threatened by what they say are unconstitutional orders. The suit against the DeWine administration and other government agencies was filed in the Ohio Court of Common Pleas in Lake County.

One of the attorneys, Thomas Renz, told The Ohio Star the list of participating plaintiffs is growing and is between 10 to 20. It includes gyms and dance studios.

Their efforts are being organized on a website available here titled “Liberty Class Action Ohio.”

The lawsuit has been filed, and they are awaiting a response from the state, Renz said. This is meant to uphold Ohio law, he said.

“This is open to any business that wants to participate,” Renz said. “If someone has been injured through this and wants to seek justice, we are happy to assist them if we can.”

The Liberty Class Action Ohio website says, “This matters because the first lawsuit will be representing the Ohio business owners, shortly after, the second lawsuit for the people of Ohio including ADA discrimination (Americans with Disabilities Act).”

Renz, of Renz Law LLC in Fremont, said he joined the effort recently. The movement was started by attorneys Robert J. Gargasz and Gerald W. Phillips.

The effort gained attention in June over a quote in the suit that used the word “sledge hammer.”

WKBN quoted the lawsuit, which said:

“Acton and DeWine has used a “sledge hammer” to kill the Ohio economy through the their unconstitutional actions, destroying the Ohio economy, and destroying the constitutional rights of all Ohioans, individuals and businesses, outside of Nursing Homes and Jails, when Acton and DeWine should have used a “scalpel and a knife” to delicately slice and dice the COVID 19.”

The lawsuit says the facilities are owed monetary compensation because of what it claims are unconstitutional orders against mass gatherings, deeming which services are essential, the Stay at Home order, and the state’s guidelines for dance facilities to operate due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Star reported on a separate lawsuit filed by gyms in May. In that case, the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, working on behalf of 35 independent gyms, struck a significant win for their right to exist. They persuaded the Ohio Court of Common Pleas in Lake County to rule against Gov. Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton’s “oppressive” shutdown of their businesses.

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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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13 Thoughts to “Lawyers Help Ohio Business Owners Organize Lawsuits Into Class Action to Take on DeWine’s Shutdown Regulations”

  1. George Eisenhart

    I,ve been in the bowling business in lake county ohio 41 years. 33 employees 400,000 annual payroll. forced to close march 16 by the state. we cleaned .disenfected painted, and tried to get ready to resume business after a couple of weeks of closing. 2 weeks turned into 4 weeks. 4 to 6, 6 to 8 the next thing you know 5 months passed . we had consumed all of our operating captial with no soulution in sight. Bowling team hav4e to bow against each other. thats how the game works. I had no choice but to lay everyone off and close the business permanently. My entire life savings is lost and a personal investment of 1 million dollars. Gone. Im a military veteran, Cancer Serviivor., Life long resident of Lake and Geauga County. I need HELP!!,

  2. William Glick

    I own a bar & grille and sports is here and we can’t have sports in our place do to shut down time

  3. Joe Barkhimer

    I’m not sure how to get my voice heard, but I own my own company and I am self-employed. I have no employees and work has been really slow because of all the chaos. Most of my work is custom cabinets and countertops for commercial companies such as hospitals, schools, doctor offices, Universities, and I do residential jobs as well. But with everything in the state that it is, I have not had much work. I also can not collect unemployment do to I’m self-employed,. I’m at a loss of what to do.

  4. Vicki

    My kids cant go to school and i have had to cancel doctor appointments

  5. Kim Opperman

    My son’s restaurants have taken a huge hit and hanging on by a thread. He and his wife have worked tirelessly to build their business with blood and sweat. Between Covid regulations, the downtown “peaceful“ protesters-rioters, and now again Mike DeWine‘s restrictive mandates, it is virtually impossible to succeed.

    The Columbus Health Dept are harassing small businesses, not wanting to allow for medical or religious exemptions, nitpicking.

    This is no longer America. If we do not stop this medical sharia and overreach of our government officials, elected and not elected, we are going to lose America forever. We are hanging on the precipice of hell.

    Stand up and take your country back.

    Kim Opperman

  6. Clay

    I lost my whole income due to cancellation of festivals and music venues. This whole thing has been ridiculous. If people are sick they need to be quarantined, if people are well they need to be working.

  7. Kayla

    My daughter had fallen and got a concussion due to wearing the mask that caused her to lose oxygen she was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

  8. Scott

    I’ve lost my entire seasons income because of the cancellation of fairs festivals and small concert venues!

  9. James Englehardt

    As a citizen I would like to be added because even my doctor wouldn’t help me when I put on a mask with in a few moments I start coughing because of it and then become dizzy and lightheaded never happened till I had to wear one I’ve tried different mask and the same thing happens besides back May I had to put my mom’s dog down because with the shut down and the vets wasn’t open she needs surgery because of cancer because we couldn’t get her seen it progressed to the point she had to be put to sleep this caused my mom a lot of stress

  10. Maria

    Impeach DeWine!

  11. Dorianne Riley

    He shut down Mercy Cardio Rehab Center two days after Dr. Henn sent orders for me to do phase II of my open heart surgery. When I was able to go finally riots and protesting started and got turned away twice by YPD. I found a very small gym closer to home and safer. Now I have to pay out of my pocket.

  12. Chanin Tomlinson

    How do I sign up ? Thank you.

  13. Sherman

    Outstanding, most of us would love to see him loose his office as well..

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