In Oct. 2025, Cleveland State University suddenly shut down its student run radio station, WCSB, after 49 years on air. Behind the scenes, the university had spent months working on a deal that would transition the station to the new home of Ideastream’s JazzNeo programming. In the wake of this shutdown, former WCSB General Manager Alison Bomgardner took on the role of public spokesperson, mobilizing angry students and community members in protest. Now, Bomgardner, along with “WCSB” and “Friends of XCSB,” a non-profit formed following WCSB’s transition, are taking legal action against Cleveland State University, its president Laura Bloomberg, and its board of trustees. In a 13-page lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants violated their civil rights, conducted meetings secretly in violation of the Open Meetings Act and withheld public records from former WCSB members. The suit also alleges that the university continues to withhold property from students and community members, including expensive equipment and music collections, purchased with former WCSB member’s own money. Learn more in this episode of Heights Now, featuring Brian Bardwell, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.