Judge obliterates Cleveland Heights mayor’s records argument in lesson for all public officials

A judge has ordered Cleveland Heights to release the controversial body camera footage showing Mayor Kahlil Seren’s wife having an “obscenity-filled outburst” at City Hall, delivering a scathing rebuke to the mayor’s legal arguments and highlighting the consequences of fighting Ohio’s public records laws.

“The smart play is always to give up the public record because Seren has taken a beating at every step of this thing. When he refused to do it, he took a beating. When people sued to get it, he took a beating. When the original recommendation came out saying that this was a ridiculous argument, he took a beating and he’s taking a beating here and he’ll take a beating when this video comes out -- Five beatings instead of one,” Quinn continued. “If you just would have released it… it would have gone away."

The court’s ruling highlights how transparency laws serve as a vital check on government power, ensuring the public’s right to know what happens inside taxpayer-funded buildings.