BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Bucyrus City Council President Kurt Fankhauser has filed a two-tiered lawsuit against the City of Bucyrus seeking injunctive relief, as well as individual and personal damages against Bucyrus City Law Director Brandon Gobrecht and Bucyrus City Councilwoman Clarissa Slater.
Fankhauser is requesting a $75,000 judgment against both Slater and Gobrecht, citing charges including slander and defamation.
He is not seeking monetary damages from the city itself, but rather injunctive relief.
Injunctive relief, also known as an injunction, is a court order requiring a party to either take or refrain from a specific action.
According to the lawsuit, Fankhauser oversaw Council Clerk Miranda Wise, who resigned on July 14, 2025, without prior consultation.
Following her resignation, Wise submitted an unapproved timesheet for personal leave, which Fankhauser—serving as plaintiff—denied. As stated in the lawsuit:
“On July 18, PLAINTIFF, after consulting the Bucyrus Auditor’s and Mayor’s Offices, denied the request to the Council Clerk via email because (1) personal leave is not paid out upon resignation, and (2) the short notice and upcoming duties required her presence.”
Fankhauser alleges that Gobrecht and others conspired to illegitimately pay Wise for unearned leave, violating city policy and misappropriating taxpayer funds.
He is requesting a court ruling to declare the proposed payment unlawful and to clarify the Council Clerk’s duties.
The second portion of the lawsuit contains serious defamation allegations against Councilwoman Slater. Quoting the filing directly:
“On July 18, DEFENDANT Clarissa Slater, in her official capacity as City Councilperson, issued a press release to multiple media outlets stating: ‘This week, Council Clerk Miranda Wise submitted her two-week resignation notice amid an increasingly hostile retaliatory environment created by Council President Kurt Fankhauser. Ms. Wise—a diligent and respected public servant—had fully complied with every requirement imposed upon her, completing updates to the permanent legislative record and the public Documents on Demand portal. Yet, President Fankhauser continued to deny her legally entitled leave, shifted expectations repeatedly, and ultimately stated he would deny it “no matter what.” This culminated in a volatile incident where Mr. Fankhauser yelled at Ms. Wise, slammed a chair, and stormed out of City Hall—leaving the Clerk visibly upset. Following this, he issued a public email refusing to assume the administrative duties of the Clerk, despite his ability to serve as Clerk Pro Tem under municipal practice. His abdication of duty—even though the law allows him to perform them until a new Clerk is appointed—conflicts with guidance from the Law Director and places the City’s legislative process at risk.’”
Slater did issue the press release on July 18, citing her professional capacity as a council member.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations, Crawford County Now Editor-in-Chief Randy Bigley posted Slater’s comments as editorial opinion.
Crawford County Now submitted a public records request to Bucyrus Police Chief Jon Dorsey for the video referenced in the press release. Chief Dorsey provided the video.
According to the Chief, there is no ongoing investigation into the matter.
However, Slater previously stated she was denied access to the video by the Law Director due to an ongoing investigation.
The video appears to show a routine exchange in the Clerk’s office. The incident involving a “slammed chair” was actually a moment in which Mayor Truka tipped a chair while repositioning it.
Crawford County Now contacted Slater to ask how she determined that Fankhauser was the individual who slammed the chair.
Slater responded by saying the core issue is not the chair itself, but a “toxic workplace culture that drove her out”—one allegedly marked by “verbal hostility, gender-based exclusion, and the Council President’s refusal to perform even the most basic duties.”
She criticized Fankhauser for what she described as self-serving actions, neglect of administrative duties, and putting the city at risk.
Slater accepted accountability for any potential misinterpretations.
As for the allegations against Law Director Gobrecht, the lawsuit claims that during the course of events, Gobrecht made false accusations and defamed Fankhauser.
Crawford County Now obtained a copy of the five-page lawsuit.
Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Sean Leuthold has recused himself from the case.
The Ohio Supreme Court has reassigned the case to retired Morrow County Judge Howard E. Hall.
Crawford County Now will continue covering this developing story.
Click the link below to read the lawsuit: