Accountable NoRo Statement on Civil Lawsuit Filed by Former North Royalton Officer Spencer Lowe
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — Accountable NoRo has reviewed the filing of a civil lawsuit brought by former North Royalton Police Officer Spencer Lowe against the City of North Royalton and individual city officials.
As this matter now moves through the legal system, Accountable NoRo believes the most important principle is simple: Officer Lowe deserves a fair, impartial, and transparent opportunity to be heard, and the people of North Royalton deserve a process that reflects the seriousness of the issues raised.
“Accountable NoRo supports Officer Lowe’s civic path to being impartially heard, and we look forward to an outcome for him and for the city that is consistent with the norms and values of the people of North Royalton,” said Nicolle Cruse, a community leader of Accountable NoRo.
The allegations in the lawsuit involve matters of public trust, police accountability, whistleblower protections, and the relationship between city leadership and the community it serves. Accountable NoRo is not the court, and we do not presume the final legal outcome. But we do believe North Royalton residents have a right to expect honesty, accountability, due process, and institutional integrity from their local government.
This lawsuit underscores why residents have continued to ask for clearer answers, stronger safeguards, and a city government that responds to serious concerns with transparency rather than defensiveness.
In the coming weeks, Accountable NoRo will offer its thoughts and suggestions for City Council to codify stronger whistleblower protections for those who serve the citizens of North Royalton. You can read our proposal here: Accountable NoRo – Whistleblower Protection Ordinance Draft.
Accountable NoRo will continue to follow the case closely and advocate for outcomes that reflect the values of North Royalton’s citizens: fairness, accountability, public trust, and respect for those who come forward in good faith.
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About Accountable NoRo Accountable NoRo is a citizen-led organization focused on transparency, accountability, and responsible local government in North Royalton, Ohio. The organization works to ensure that the voices, concerns, and values of North Royalton residents are heard and respected by city leadership.
Accountable NoRo Praises Selection of Dr. Mary Gorjanc as North Royalton City Council President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2026
Accountable NoRo Praises Selection of Dr. Mary Gorjanc as North Royalton City Council President
NORTH ROYALTON, OH — Accountable NoRo congratulates Dr. Mary Gorjanc, Ward 4 Councilwoman, on her election as President of North Royalton City Council.
Dr. Gorjanc’s selection comes at an important moment for North Royalton. Our city is entering a new chapter, with new leadership in the Mayor’s Office and now new leadership on City Council. At a time when residents are looking for steadiness, accountability, transparency, and thoughtful public service, Dr. Gorjanc brings a record that deserves recognition.
As Ward 4 Councilwoman, Dr. Gorjanc has described her service as focused on listening to residents, prioritizing their needs, and finding solutions to improve the community. Her public record reflects attention to issues that matter deeply to North Royalton families, including responsible development, flooding concerns, neighborhood safety, and open engagement with residents.
Her background as a physician also speaks to a career rooted in service, careful judgment, and responsibility to others. That same approach is valuable in public office, especially as North Royalton works through important questions of leadership, public trust, infrastructure, and accountability.
A member of Accountable NoRo, Edward Jacak, said this of Dr. Gorjanc:
“I’ve worked with Mary over the last year on helping Ward 4 residents gain some traction controlling area flooding challenges. She listens, really listens to the people, takes action — like when she proactively engaged my nonprofit, NoRoFloodFight.org — and she amplifies the voices of the people in council chambers. The Council voted well last evening, and North Royalton will be the better for it.”
Accountable NoRo also recognizes that Dr. Gorjanc has previously acknowledged residents’ concerns regarding the controversy involving North Royalton police leadership and the handling of matters connected to Officer Spencer Lowe while at the same time always provided sober perspective countering the varied sides of the matter. As the city moves forward, Accountable NoRo hopes Council President Gorjanc will help ensure that transparency, accountability, and public trust remain at the center of city government.
This is a moment for North Royalton’s leaders to put community first. We congratulate Dr. Gorjanc and look forward to seeing City Council continue its work on behalf of the residents it serves.
Accountable NoRo Responds to Mayor Antoskiewicz’s Retirement Announcement and Reaffirms Commitment to Accountability and Community Values
North Royalton, Ohio — April 22, 2026 — Accountable NoRo extends its sincere thanks to Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz for his years of service to the City of North Royalton. Throughout his time in public office, the city has seen progress in areas important to many residents, including community improvements, infrastructure efforts, and work related to stormwater and flooding concerns.
Accountable NoRo also wishes Mayor Antoskiewicz strength, healing, and a full recovery as he steps away from office to focus on his health. Public service comes with great personal sacrifice, and at this moment, we recognize the importance of his health and family.
At the same time, Accountable NoRo believes the mayor’s resignation does not close the door on the serious concerns that have been raised within our community. Our organization remains committed to ensuring that the final outcomes involving Officer Spencer Lowe and Sgt. FloAnn Rybicki reflect the values of the citizens of North Royalton — values rooted in fairness, honesty, accountability, transparency, and respect for those who serve the public in good faith.
Residents deserve confidence that important decisions affecting public trust are handled in a way that is just, transparent, and consistent with the character of our community. Those expectations remain unchanged.
In light of the mayor’s announced resignation and the broader issues facing North Royalton, Accountable NoRo has begun the process of transitioning from its current focus on a mayoral recall to ensuring that the final outcomes for Officer Lowe and Sgt. Rybicki are reflective of the values of North Royalton’s citizens.
Accountable NoRo remains committed to standing with residents who want ethical leadership, honest government, and outcomes that reflect the standards our community expects and deserves.
About Accountable NoRo Accountable NoRo is a grassroots Political Action Committee, registered in Cuyahoga County, made up of concerned North Royalton residents working to promote honest leadership, transparent government, and decisions that reflect the values and best interests of the community. The organization is committed to helping residents stay informed and engaged on the issues that shape daily life in North Royalton, including public integrity, safety, flooding, schools, development, and zoning.
Accountable NoRo Supports FOP Arbitration Demand and Continues Recall Signature Drive in North Royalton
Group says residents deserve transparency, accountability, and answers from city leadership
North Royalton, Ohio — April 15, 2026 — Accountable NoRo is voicing its support for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 15 after the union announced in a press release it has filed for binding arbitration following the firing of Patrolman Spencer Lowe and the demotion of Sgt. Flo Ann Rybicki. According to the FOP’s April 15 press release, the union is seeking Lowe’s reinstatement, the restoration of Rybicki’s rank, and full back pay and benefits for both officers.
Accountable NoRo supports the FOP’s call for an independent review of this matter. Based on publicly reported facts and the concerns being raised by residents across North Royalton, we believe this controversy has not been handled with the level of transparency the public deserves. Questions remain about how this matter was investigated, how discipline was imposed, and whether the public has received a full and trustworthy account of what happened.
FOX 8 reported April 15 that Lowe was terminated and Rybicki demoted following an internal investigation into the release of records tied to the October 2025 arrest of Orange Village Deputy Chief Patrick O’Callahan. That same reporting states the city says records were released “without authorization and outside established procedure,” while the FOP argues Lowe was exposing altered arrest documents and acting under Ohio’s whistleblower statute.
Those competing accounts are exactly why independent arbitration matters. Accountable NoRo believes the public interest is not served when major questions involving police leadership, internal records, and disciplinary action are left to a process many residents view as too closed, too political, or too difficult to trust. When confidence in leadership breaks down, the damage reaches far beyond one personnel case. It affects public faith in city government itself.
“North Royalton residents keep telling us the same thing: they want straight answers, and they are not convinced they are getting them,” said Nicolle Cruse, Accountable NoRo. “We support the effort to get this matter in front of an independent arbitrator, and we believe residents deserve a clearer accounting from city leadership about how this scandal has been handled.”
Accountable NoRo also wants residents to know that our recall signature effort against Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz is continuing. As we speak with voters across the city, this issue remains one of the most common examples residents raise when describing their concerns about transparency, leadership, and accountability at City Hall. For many, this is no longer just about one officer or one disciplinary action. It has become a broader test of whether North Royalton’s leadership is responsive to the people it serves.
The FOP’s press release argues that Lowe and Rybicki were punished after bringing forward evidence related to the handling of arrest documents, and that arbitration is needed to remove the case from what it calls the city’s “biased, political echo chamber.” Accountable NoRo believes those claims deserve independent scrutiny, not dismissal.
Accountable NoRo is currently leading a signature collection drive to secure a recall election to remove Mayor Antoskiewicz from office over these events. Their next upcoming signature collection drive will be on April 21st, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at North Royalton City Hall, located at 14600 State Road North Royalton, OH 44133. Residents who believe this issue deserves fuller public scrutiny are encouraged to stay informed, stay engaged, and support ongoing efforts to restore accountability and trust in city leadership.
About Accountable NoRo Accountable NoRo is a grassroots Political Action Committee, registered in Cuyahoga County, made up of concerned North Royalton residents working to promote honest leadership, transparent government, and decisions that reflect the values and best interests of the community. The organization is committed to helping residents stay informed and engaged on the issues that shape daily life in North Royalton, including public integrity, safety, flooding, schools, development, and zoning.
Accountable NoRo Believes Lowe Firing Deepens Public Trust Crisis in North Royalton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Relations Contact: Edward Jacak edward@AccountableNoRo.com 440-941-5150 www.AccountableNoRo.com
Accountable NoRo Stands With FOP Call for Transparency After Lowe Firing and Rybicki Demotion
Group says residents deserve fuller answers, greater visibility, and leadership that addresses public concern
North Royalton, Ohio — Accountable NoRo is speaking out after new public reporting confirmed that North Royalton Patrolman Spencer Lowe has been terminated and Sgt. Flo Ann Rybicki has been demoted following an internal investigation tied to the release of police records connected to the October 11, 2025 arrest of Orange Village Deputy Chief Patrick O’Callahan. The same reporting states that Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 15 is now seeking binding arbitration to reverse both disciplinary actions.
Accountable NoRo stands with the FOP in calling for a full, credible, and transparent airing of the facts. In our view, public visibility into this matter has been minimal to insufficient. Residents we are speaking with every day, including many while collecting signatures in support of the recall effort against Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz, continue to raise concerns about transparency, accountability, and whether city leadership has adequately addressed what happened and why.
According to FOX 8’s report, the North Royalton Police Department says records related to O’Callahan’s arrest were released “without authorization and outside established procedure,” and that an outside investigator found police leadership did nothing wrong. But the same report also states that the union is directly challenging that conclusion, claiming Lowe uncovered evidence that references to a felony gun charge had been deleted from arrest documents and that those concerns were raised under Ohio’s whistleblower statute. Those are serious, competing claims, and they demand more public explanation than residents have received so far.
Accountable NoRo believes Officer Lowe appears to have been acting in a whistleblower posture by trying to preserve or expose information he believed was important to the integrity of the case. At a minimum, the public record described in current reporting raises substantial questions about whether termination was the right response. A city that values public trust should be extremely cautious before firing an officer in a case that so many residents view through the lens of disclosure, accountability, and possible retaliation for raising concerns.
We are also concerned that the City of North Royalton may be exposing taxpayers to significant future cost if these disciplinary actions are later overturned or become the subject of extended civil litigation or arbitration. That is not a legal conclusion. It is a reasonable public concern about risk, potential appearance of conflict of interest, stewardship, and whether city leadership is acting in a way that protects the community from avoidable financial and reputational damage.
Mayor Antoskiewicz should more directly address the concerns of North Royalton residents. This matter is no longer just an internal personnel issue. It has become a broader test of civic trust, public accountability, and whether residents can rely on transparent leadership when serious questions emerge involving law enforcement, city administration, and the handling of public information.
“This is exactly the kind of situation that causes people to lose trust in local government,” said Nicolle Cruise, Community Leader, Accountable NoRo. “Residents want straight answers. They want to know whether someone who tried to bring concerns forward was punished for it. And they want leadership that understands silence and limited visibility only deepen public doubt.”
Accountable NoRo will continue listening to residents, documenting their concerns, and advocating for honest leadership, transparent government, and decisions that reflect the values and best interests of the North Royalton community.
Accountable NoRo is currently leading a signature collection drive to secure a recall election to remove Mayor Antoskiewicz from office over these events. Their next upcoming signature collection drive will be on April 21st, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at North Royalton City Hall, located at 14600 State Road North Royalton, OH 44133. Residents who believe this issue deserves fuller public scrutiny are encouraged to stay informed, stay engaged, and support ongoing efforts to restore accountability and trust in city leadership.
About Accountable NoRo Accountable NoRo is a grassroots Political Action Committee, registered in Cuyahoga County, made up of concerned North Royalton residents working to promote honest leadership, transparent government, and decisions that reflect the values and best interests of the community. The organization is committed to helping residents stay informed and engaged on the issues that shape daily life in North Royalton, including public integrity, safety, flooding, schools, development, and zoning.
