COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--A judge in Lake County ruled that the Director of The Ohio Department of Health violated the constitutional rights of gym owners when she ordered them to shut down.
A group of gym owners filed a lawsuit, requesting that their establishments be allowed to reopen immediately.
The ruling paves the way for a lawsuit against the state to move forward as club owners seek damages for the money lost while they were shutdown.
It is the first successful challenge to Ohio's stay-at-home orders, issued during the coronavirus pandemic.
Without the ruling, Governor Mike DeWine had permitted gyms and fitness centers to reopen next week, with new social distancing standards in place.