© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

DeWine Goes After Former ECOT Officials in Lawsuit

photo of Rick Teeters
ANDY CHOW
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Former ECOT Superintendent Rick Teeters (pictured) is one of the school's officials named in the lawsuit Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed.

A judge has granted Attorney General Mike DeWine permission to carry forward with his lawsuit against ECOT and the companies owned by its founder, IQ Innovations and Altair Learning Management. He is taking a few different routes to get the money.

DeWine claims IQ, Altair, and a handful of ECOT officials, including its founder Bill Lager, are liable for the $60 million the school still owes the state in a clawback for students the school didn’t have.

The lawsuit is also going after any personal profit Lager made when ECOT contracted with the two companies he owned.

DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said there’s a sense of urgency with this lawsuit.

“This is us trying to be as aggressive as possible to collect public funds that can ultimately be returned to taxpayers while they still exist,” he said.

DeWine has been criticized for not going after ECOT years ago when the conflict between Lager and his companies started. But DeWine’s office said they had to work within their jurisdiction.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.