Strongsville City School Board vice president Megan Haffner was arrested on March 17 and now faces multiple charges, including operating a vehicle under the influence, after what police say was a close call on Prospect Road. Officers allege her SUV nearly struck an oncoming car before the traffic stop. Haffner has pleaded not guilty, and a pretrial hearing is set for May 11 in Berea Municipal Court, putting one of the district's top elected officials squarely under the public spotlight.
According to police, an officer stopped Haffner's Ford Bronco at about 9:30 p.m. on March 17 on northbound Prospect Road at Albion after she nearly collided with a southbound vehicle. The officer reported that Haffner had glassy eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol before administering field sobriety tests, which police say she failed. She was booked on charges of OVI, refusal to submit to a breath test and failure to yield, and pleaded not guilty to all three counts. As reported by Cleveland.com, Haffner told officers she had been at Slim & Chubby's on Prospect and admitted to drinking at least two bourbons.
Board Role and Background
Haffner was elected to the Strongsville board last November and currently serves as the board's vice president, according to Strongsville City Schools. Her professional bio notes work in risk management at Third Federal Savings and Loan, along with local volunteer efforts that helped boost her visibility during the 2023 campaign.
Board Responds
Board President Laura Wolfe-Housum issued a brief statement acknowledging the situation and emphasizing that the board expects its elected officials to "uphold the high standards" of their positions. She added that commenting in detail would be inappropriate while the case is moving through the courts. As noted by Cleveland.com, Haffner previously faced an OVI-related arrest in 2023 that ended with a no-contest plea in Rocky River Municipal Court.
Legal Implications
Under Ohio's implied-consent law, refusing a chemical test can trigger administrative penalties separate from any criminal OVI case, including a standalone driver's-license suspension. The rules for OVI and test refusals are laid out in the Ohio Revised Code, and those provisions can result in automatic administrative sanctions even before any conviction is entered. More detail on those requirements is available in Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.191.
What Happens Next
Haffner is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing May 11 in Berea Municipal Court, where the docket will determine whether the case proceeds to trial or is resolved earlier through a plea or other agreement. In the meantime, any separate administrative license-suspension process handled by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles could limit her driving privileges while the criminal charges remain pending.
