CLEVELAND, Ohio— Attorneys for the city of Cleveland on Friday accused the Browns of violating Ohio law and the terms of the team’s lease to play in the city the NFL franchise has called home for most of the last eight decades.
Justin Herdman, an attorney for the city, said the Browns defied the so-called Modell Law by failing to offer the team up for sale in the six months since it announced plans to move from its downtown Cleveland stadium. He said it also violated the lease by negotiating with others to play home games outside the city’s borders.