State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, introduced legislation Wednesday (May 8) to protect student-athletes from bullying, harassment, intimidation, or abuse by school employees or volunteers.
Senate Bill 259 will allow victimized students to transfer their athletic eligibility to another district, or school, and compete as part of that school, or district’s, athletic team.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) would enforce the transfer provision when a school chooses to accept these transfer students, though the receiving school is not required to do so. If these students transfer, they are not required to sit out a portion of the season by OSHAA.
“I submitted the bill in response to the recent conviction of a Bowling Green High School coach on 19 charges including rape, sexual battery, and gross sexual imposition,” said Gavarone. “Victims of such abuse should not be forced to endure further suffering by being required to play sports at the same school or be obligated to sit out after a transfer. Protecting our children must be our highest priority in order to ensure our families, and our state, have a bright future. “
The bill will apply to all K-12 students in public and private schools, chartered and non-chartered, as well as home-schooled students.
