The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (“Department”) maintains an Abuser Registry, which is a list of
employees whom the Department has determined have abused, neglected, had prohibited sexual relations with, stolen
property from, or did not report the abuse or neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. If your name is
placed on the Abuser Registry, you are barred from employment as a DD employee in this state for a minimum of 1
year.
Employees whose names may be placed on the Abuser Registry. The name of any “Developmental Disabilities
(DD) employee” may be placed on the Abuser Registry. DD employee includes any Department employee,
any employee of a county board of DD, and any employee providing specialized services to an individual with
developmental disabilities. A specialized service is a program or service designed to primarily serve
individuals with developmental disabilities including services by an entity licensed or certified by the
Department.
Abuser Registry Offenses. The Department may place the name of a DD employee on the Abuser Registry if it
determines that the employee has committed any of the below offenses against an individual with
developmental disabilities.
• Abuse
• Abuse includes the use of any physical force that could reasonably be expected to result in physical
harm.
• Abuse includes unlawful sexual conduct (unprivileged intercourse or other sexual penetration) and
unlawful sexual contact (unprivileged touching of another’s erogenous zone).
• Abuse includes verbal abuse. Verbal abuse means purposely using words to threaten, coerce,
intimidate, harass or humiliate an individual.
• Prohibited Sexual Relations. This means the consensual touching of an erogenous zone for sexual gratification
by a DD employee of an individual in the employee’s care who is not the employee’s spouse.
• Neglect. Neglect means, when there is a duty to do so, failing to provide an individual with any treatment,
care, goods or services necessary to maintain the health or safety of the individual.
• Misappropriation (theft). This means obtaining the property of an individual or individuals, without consent,
with an aggregate (combined) value of at least $100. Theft of any check, credit card, ATM card and the like
are also Abuser Registry offenses.
• Failure to Report Abuse, Neglect or Misappropriation. A DD employee may be placed on the Abuser Registry
if the employee unreasonably does not report abuse, neglect or misappropriation of the property of an
individual with developmental disabilities, or the substantial risk to such an individual of abuse, neglect or
misappropriation, when the employee should know that his/her non-reporting will result in a substantial
risk of harm to such individual.
ORC 5123.542 requires the Department, each county DD board, and each entity providing specialized services under
contract with a DD board, and each owner, operator, or administrator of a residential facility as defined in ORC
5123.19 or of a program certified by the Department to provide supported living services to annually provide
written notice to each of its DD employees explaining the conduct for which a DD employee may be placed on
the Abuser Registry. More information about the Abuser Registry is on the Department’s website under the
Health and Safety Tab or may be obtained by calling (614) 995-3810.
Please sign below if you have read and understand this policy.
