Board of Elections gets time to respond to suit

The Miami County Board of Elections and an ex-board member sued by a former deputy director fired in early 2017 will get additional time to respond to the lawsuit.

Eric Morgan of Tipp City filed the lawsuit in January against the Board of Elections and former member Dean Tamplin of Tipp City in county Common Pleas Court.

Morgan alleged violations by the board of open meeting laws and defamation.

The lawsuit alleges violations took place in January 2017 to discuss Morgan in a claimed undisclosed meeting and at least one other executive session at which the suit claims the topic of discussion was not disclosed publicly as required.

The failure to follow the meetings law should invalidate the board action, returning him to his former position, Morgan and his lawyer argued in the complaint.

Morgan also requests from former board member Dean Tamplin of Tipp City compensatory and punitive damages of more than $25,000 each as a result of alleged defamation.

A notice filed Feb. 13 in Common Pleas Court said the parties have agreed to allow the defendants extra time, until April 10, to respond to the allegations.

The time was needed to gather information for an appropriate response, lawyers for the board and Tamplin from Isaac Wiles Burkholder &Teetor LLC of Columbus wrote in the motion.

The elections board and Tamplin met with lawyers from that firm and Chris Englert, an assistant county prosecuting attorney, in a two-hour executive session Thursday to discuss pending litigation.

No action was taken after the closed discussion.

NANCY BOWMAN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER