Section 5153.176 | Information concerning child abuse or neglect by licensee.
As used in this section, "license" has the same meaning as in section 3319.31 of the Revised Code.
(A) Notwithstanding division (I)(1) of section 2151.421, section 5153.17, or any other section of the Revised Code pertaining to confidentiality, the director of a public children services agency shall promptly provide to the superintendent of public instruction information regarding the agency's investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect made pursuant to section 2151.421 of the Revised Code involving a person who holds a license issued by the state board of education where the agency has determined that child abuse or neglect occurred and that abuse or neglect is related to the person's duties and responsibilities under the license. The information provided by the director shall include the following:
(1) A summary of the nature of the allegations contained in the report of which the person is the subject and the final disposition of the investigation conducted in response to that report or, if the investigation is not complete, the status of the investigation;
(2) Upon written request of the superintendent of public instruction, the additional information described in division (C) of this section regarding the agency's investigation of the report, unless the prosecuting attorney of the county served by the agency determines that such information may not be released pursuant to division (B) of this section.
(B) Upon receipt of a written request from the superintendent of public instruction for the additional information described in division (C) of this section, the director shall determine if the prosecuting attorney of the county served by the public children services agency intends to prosecute the subject of the report based on the allegations contained in the report. If the prosecuting attorney intends to prosecute the subject of the report, the prosecuting attorney shall determine the information described in division (C) of this section that may be released, if any, and shall provide the director with written authorization to release the information so determined. The director shall provide the superintendent of public instruction with any information described in division (C) of this section that the prosecuting attorney determines may be released, but in no case shall the director provide any information that the prosecuting attorney determines shall not be released. If the prosecuting attorney does not intend to prosecute the subject of the report, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the director of that fact and the director shall provide all of the information described in division (C) of this section to the superintendent of public instruction.
(C) In accordance with division (B) of this section, the director shall provide information to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the public children services agency's investigation of the report described in division (A) of this section, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) The following information about the alleged child victim of the abuse or neglect:
(a) Full name;
(b) Date of birth;
(c) Address and telephone number;
(d) Grade level;
(e) Name and contact information of the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian;
(f) Name and contact information of any medical facility that provided treatment to the child, if the child was injured in connection with the abuse or neglect and if that information is available;
(g) A summary of interviews with the child or, if an entity other than the agency conducted the interviews, the contact information for that entity. The summary shall include an accounting of the facts and circumstances of the alleged abuse or neglect, including, but not limited to, the time and place that the abuse or neglect occurred.
(h) Copies of any written correspondence between the child and the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect that was used by the agency to determine that abuse or neglect occurred, the release of which is not otherwise prohibited by law.
(2) The following information about the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect:
(a) Full name;
(b) Date of birth;
(c) Address and telephone number;
(d) Name of school district and school building that employed the alleged perpetrator at the time the report was made;
(e) Name and contact information of any medical facility that provided treatment to the alleged perpetrator, if the alleged perpetrator was injured in connection with the abuse or neglect and if that information is available;
(f) A summary of interviews with the alleged perpetrator or, if an entity other than the agency conducted the interviews, the contact information for that entity. The summary shall include an accounting of the facts and circumstances of the alleged abuse or neglect, including, but not limited to, the time and place that the abuse or neglect occurred.
(g) Copies of any written correspondence between the alleged child victim and the alleged perpetrator that was used by the agency to determine that abuse or neglect occurred, the release of which is not otherwise prohibited by law;
(h) If the alleged perpetrator has been the subject of any previous reports made pursuant to section 2151.421 of the Revised Code where the agency determined that physical or sexual child abuse occurred, a summary of the chronology of those reports; the final disposition of the investigations conducted in response to those reports, or if an investigation is not complete, the status of that investigation; and any underlying documentation concerning those reports.
(3) The following information about each person, other than the alleged child victim and the alleged perpetrator, whom the agency has determined to be important to the investigation, except that the information shall not be provided about the person who made the report unless that person grants written permission for the director to release the information:
(a) Full name;
(b) Address and telephone number;
(c) If the person has been interviewed regarding the alleged abuse or neglect, a summary of those interviews or, if an entity other than the agency conducted the interviews, the contact information for such entity.
(D) Upon provision of any information to the superintendent of public instruction under this section, the director shall notify the superintendent of both of the following:
(1) That the information is confidential;
(2) That unauthorized dissemination of the information is a violation of division (I)(2) of section 2151.421 and section 3319.311 of the Revised Code and any person who permits or encourages unauthorized dissemination of the information is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree pursuant to section 2151.99 of the Revised Code.
If the director determines that the superintendent of public instruction or any person involved in the conduct of an investigation under section 3319.311 of the Revised Code committed, caused, permitted, or encouraged the unauthorized dissemination of any information provided under this section, the director shall provide written notification of the unauthorized dissemination to the prosecuting attorney of the county or the village solicitor, city director of law, or similar chief legal officer of the municipal corporation in which the unauthorized dissemination occurred. A copy of the notification shall be retained in the investigative record maintained by the public children services agency.
(E) The director shall include documentation of the information provided to the superintendent of public instruction under this section in the investigative record maintained by the public children services agency. The documentation shall include the following:
(1) A list of the information provided;
(2) The date the information was provided;
(3) If the superintendent of public instruction designates a person to receive the information on the superintendent's behalf, the name of that person;
(4) The reason for providing the information;
(5) If written authorization to provide the information is required from the prosecuting attorney under division (B) of this section, a copy of that authorization.
(F) No director of a public children services agency shall knowingly fail to comply with division (A) or (C) of this section.
(G) A director of a public children services agency who provides information to the superintendent of public instruction in accordance with this section in good faith shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability that otherwise might be incurred or imposed for injury, death, or loss to person or property as a result of the provision of that information.
(H) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the provisions of this section prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement or contract for employment entered into after March 30, 2007.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 12, 2008 – House Bill 428 - 127th General Assembly [ View September 12, 2008 Version ]
- March 14, 2017 – House Bill 493 - 131st General Assembly [ View March 14, 2017 Version ]