We, the undersigned residents and stakeholders of Cleveland, urgently call upon the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to assume responsibility for all health and safety inspections of public school facilities within the City of Cleveland.

Under Ohio Administrative Code 3707.26, local boards of health are required to conduct biannual inspections of school buildings, assessing overall safety, sanitation, ventilation, and other environmental health factors. However, for at least a decade, these inspections have either not been conducted, have failed to meet the legal requirements, or have been replaced by narrow, inadequate food service inspections for Newton D. Baker. This dereliction of duty has allowed systemic divestment in Cleveland's public school infrastructure. And for at least a decade this has been placing our children and educators at serious and avoidable risk.

Immediate Cause for Action

• During the 2024-2025 school year, a partial roof collapse occurred at a Cleveland public school, Newton D. Baker, after the district decided each year for 15 years to not replace the roof. 
  • The City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), and the Cleveland Teachers Union (CTU) still directed children and staff to return to the building.
  • There was no record of any formal inspections of structural integrity following the collapse.
  • Parents were not informed of the danger; many learned about it only through a public board meeting.
• The district claimed minor mold remediation was sufficient, despite clear evidence that mold returned within days due to unresolved water intrusion.
• Children continue to attend schools that are unsafe and dehumanizing:
  • Playgrounds and school buildings have had graffiti including swastikas and genitalia, which remain uncleaned for extended periods.
  • Bathrooms, halls, cafeterias, and classrooms suffer from persistent health code violations, including exposure to black mold and rodent droppings.

This situation not only violates public trust - it endangers lives. Every day we are asked to send our children into buildings that have not been verified as structurally safe, clean, or legally compliant. The absence of lawful inspections allows those in power to enrich and empower themselves, redirect funding, and suppress accountability, all while our most vulnerable residents, our children, pay the price.

Our Demands

Until a federal investigation, including potential RICO allegations, is concluded by the Department of Justice and FBI, we demand that:

1. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health immediately take over the inspection authority for all public school buildings within the City of Cleveland.
2. All school buildings be subject to emergency, full-spectrum inspections that include environmental health, mold, air quality, water damage, and structural integrity assessments.
3. The results of these inspections be made fully transparent and accessible to the public within 30 days.
4. A permanent oversight mechanism be established to prevent future neglect of 3707.26 obligations by the City of Cleveland or CMSD.

Additionally, we request that the Auditor of State conduct a Special Audit and/or Performance Audit of the City of Cleveland and Cleveland Metropolitan School District, with a focus on school facility health and safety compliance, infrastructure spending, and public notification protocols.

This audit should include:

• A financial and legal review of how CMSD and the City of Cleveland have managed facilities funds and capital improvement dollars.
• Identification of any fiscal mismanagement, misrepresentation of inspection procedures, or noncompliance with statutory inspection mandates.
• Recommendations for corrective action and state-enforced compliance, including mandatory repairs and safe reopening of any school buildings closed or abandoned without proper structural assessment or remediation.

If warranted, we request referral to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for any findings of fraud, criminal neglect, or willful endangerment.

Conclusion

We cannot allow our public institutions to fail the most basic standard of ensuring safe learning environments. The lack of inspections is not just a bureaucratic failure - it is a moral and legal crisis that demands immediate intervention.

We ask the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to step in-before more harm is done.