Former Ohio University football coach Brian Smith is suing the school, claiming wrongful termination. The university fired Smith on Dec. 17 for "serious professional misconduct," citing extramarital affairs and alcohol-related behavior. Smith's attorney, Rex Elliott, argues the termination breached Smith's contract and seeks compensatory damages. The lawsuit was filed Friday in the Ohio Court of Claims. Smith signed a five-year contract in December 2024 with a base salary of $615,000 per season. The university maintains Smith's termination was justified. Elliott disputes the allegations, stating Smith's conduct did not violate university policies.

Thirty former Ohio State football players, including some former NFL players, are agreeing to join a federal lawsuit against the university over the sexual abuse of student-athletes decades ago by a team doctor. A lawyer in the case, Rocky Ratliff, said Thursday that the men have signed letters of agreement to join a lawsuit. Ohio State has fought lawsuits brought by former student-athletes over its failure to stop abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss. Hundreds say they were abused by him. Ratliff says some other former football players have settled with the school in sealed agreements. Ohio State says it has tried to reconcile with survivors through settlements, counseling services and medical treatment.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have agreed to end their legal battle over the acrimonious production of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us.” The two sides settled their legal dispute on Monday ahead of a planned trial over Lively’s claims that Baldoni conspired with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexually harassing her on the movie set. Baldoni directed the film and starred in it with Lively. He denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. Baldoni said the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over the acrimonious production of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us."

A group of landlords are hoping to settle with the federal government over what they say are billions of dollars in losses due to the federal eviction moratorium in place for nearly a year during the pandemic. More than 1,500 landlords across the country are part of a federal lawsuit that argues the eviction policy enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention violated the Fifth Amendment by unlawfully using their property without compensation. Lawyers for the plaintiffs are hoping to recoup as much as $1.5 billion — a fraction of the estimated tens of billions of dollars that the industry lost.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his family have marked a milestone with the groundbreaking of a new domed stadium, set to open in 2029. The $2.6 billion project near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport faces funding challenges. Ohio's $600 million commitment is on hold due to a lawsuit over state budget provisions. Governor Mike DeWine remains optimistic about resolving the issue. The Haslam Sports Group is covering most costs. The stadium will feature a transparent roof and a new Dawg Pound section. The stadium could host major events, but hotel space is a concern for a Super Bowl according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

An Associated Press investigation finds that a business known for tough-love boarding schools for rebellious, rich teenagers has set its sights on a different demographic: adopted kids. Experts say adoptees account for an estimated 25-40% of those in residential treatment. What some call the “troubled teen industry,” a sprawling network of loosely regulated, for-profit residential treatment centers and boarding schools advertise to adoptive parents, promising to help adoptees heal, at a cost as high as $20,000 a month. Adoptees told AP they believe were in a shadow orphanage system where children end up institutionalized in oppressive, sometimes abusive facilities.