On June 18, 2025, the Eighth District Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s decision and dismissed a lawsuit against Taft’s client, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), stemming from the 2022 suicide of a student who accessed harmful online content using a district-issued device.

The lawsuit alleged that CMSD failed to properly filter or block obscene and harmful internet content, monitor students’ online activities, and educate students about safe online behavior. The complaint claimed these failures constituted misconduct, directly leading to the student’s death, and sought damages for wrongful death and survivorship.

CMSD moved to dismiss the case, arguing it was protected by political subdivision immunity under Ohio law and that none of the statutory exceptions applied. The trial court initially denied the district’s motion, allowing the case to proceed. However, the appellate court found that the plaintiff’s complaint did not allege a “physical defect” in the filtering software as required to overcome statutory immunity, nor did the injury occur on school property—both necessary conditions under Ohio law for such lawsuits to proceed. The court cited legal precedent, noting that technological failures or alleged misuses do not meet the legal definition of a physical defect, and that the tragic incident occurred at the student’s home, not on school grounds. As a result, the appeals court ordered the dismissal of all claims against CMSD, reaffirming the broad immunity granted to Ohio public school districts in similar circumstances.

Taft partner Philip Williamson argued the appeal. The Taft team also included partner Adrian Thompson and associate Jack Maib.

Williamson, a partner in the firm’s Cincinnati office, has briefed appeals in multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits, as well as state appellate courts in Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. He has also represented amici at both the cert petition and merits stages in the U.S. Supreme Court. Thompson is co-partner-in-charge of Taft’s Cleveland office. He counsels private sector clients on issues including equal employment opportunity litigation, wage-hour problems, employment of the disabled, federal housing, and other labor matters. He is also a member of the firm’s executive and participation committees. Maib is an associate in Taft’s Cleveland office and focuses his practice on securities litigation, arbitration, and commercial litigation.