FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM THE DESK OF CLARISSA SCHEFFLER-SLATER
The Ohio Court of Claims has now issued its final ruling in Copp v. City of Bucyrus Council (Case Nos. 2025-00552PQ and 2025-00684PQ). The Court adopted the Special Master’s recommendation in full and entered judgment in favor of the Bucyrus City Council.
Because this case involved my own phone and text records, I want residents to have a clear understanding of what the Court actually reviewed and why it ruled as it did.
As part of the proceedings, the Special Master conducted an in camera review of all texts and phone logs I submitted. That means the Court privately examined every record I provided to confirm whether they were responsive and whether I complied with Ohio’s public-records laws. The Court determined that I complied liberally, thoroughly, and to the fullest extent required under the law.
The complaints alleged that additional records must exist, or that the City Council failed to search properly. The Court rejected those claims. It found no evidence that any additional records existed or were unlawfully withheld. It also confirmed that Ohio law does not require a public office to provide a forensic-level explanation of which devices, accounts, or software were searched. The legal standard is whether the public office reasonably searched for and produced any public records that exist. The Court concluded that standard was met.
It’s equally important to clarify what is not a public record. Personal conversations involving my children, their health, or their well-being are not public business. They are private family matters, and the Court appropriately treated them that way. Boundaries like this protect not only my family, but every family in Bucyrus.
At the end of the day, we are all neighbors. I serve on City Council because I care deeply about this community. I’m not getting rich from this work, and I don’t receive special treatment or privilege because of it. I’m a mother, a resident, and someone who wants Bucyrus to thrive. Transparency matters to me, and it always will. However, transparency and privacy both have their rightful place in the law.
I remain committed to making sure the City continues to comply fully with Ohio’s Public Records Act, while also respecting the privacy that every family, including mine, is entitled to.
To view the Judge’s report please visit this link.
Respectfully,
Clarissa Scheffler-Slater
Bucyrus City Council At-Large
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