Family feud: Lawsuit says Post-Gazette publisher wants to sell paper as brothers clash

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publisher and editor-in-chief John Block wants to sell the paper as well as its parent company, Block Communications Inc., according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in an Ohio court.

The civil suit in Lucas County Common Pleas Court was filed by Block Communications CEO Allan Block, John Block’s twin brother. Block Communications is headquartered in Toledo, in Lucas County, Ohio.

The lawsuit claims John Block desires to take Allan’s spot as CEO of Block Communications, but his efforts have been thwarted. John Block once viewed himself as a “sovereign” over the media company, according to the suit.

Block Communications owns the Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade, as well as cable television and other media operations across the country.

John Block wants to sell the company because if he cannot be CEO then he wants to see the company fail, according to the suit.

“In a last ditch effort to assert his ‘sovereignty,’ John Block is now intent on engineering a value-destructive sale of (Block Communications),” reads the lawsuit.

A spokesperson for Allan Block said a sale would lead to hundreds of job losses in the local Toledo and Pittsburgh communities — and potentially those papers folding.

“It is unfortunate that certain Block family members would choose to further enrich themselves at the expense of local jobs and the communities that depend on local news coverage,” said Allan Block’s spokesperson.

The lawsuit also claims John Block has convinced other company board members to join his side. It names several other Block family members as defendants.

Calls to John Block and his lawyer were not immediately returned.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was formed in 1927 by Paul Block, the grandfather of John Block and Allan Block. The Toledo Blade has been published since 1835 and is the oldest continuously run business in Toledo.

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Allan Block’s suit said voting interest at Block Communications recently transferred to younger members of the Block family, who “have no allegiance to a business that their ancestors built over the last 123 years” and are looking to cash out on a quick sale.

The suit claims the sale attempt is in its early stages and describes it as an “ill-conceived, resentment-fueled plan.”

Allan Block said his brother was looking to “explore strategic alternatives for the company” during a Block Communications board meeting in January, according to the suit. Allan Block also claimed a committee was formed to explore a sale, and he was left out of that committee’s process.

In a letter sent out to all Block Communications employees obtained by TribLive, Allan Block said he attempted to talk John and his family members out of the sale plan.

“I believe a sale of (Block Communications) could have terrible consequences for you and the communities we serve, and would betray the legacy of my family,” wrote Allan Block to his employees. “Over the last several years, many companies such as ours have been sold, resulting in thousands of jobs being lost and, in some cases, the closure of local papers.”

Turmoil has been a regular occurrence at the Post-Gazette over the past few years, including controversies over fired journalists and newsroom drama. In 2019, John Block reportedly threw a tirade at his editorial staff and complained about his family losing millions of dollars.

Journalists and production workers at the paper have been on strike for more than 19 months, citing high health care costs and lack of staff raises for well over a decade. Some of the Post-Gazette’s journalists have gone back to work while the strike is ongoing.

The National Labor Relations Board authorized a request last month to seek a temporary court injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for allegedly violating labor rights.

The Post-Gazette did not immediately return a request for comment.