Ohio § 2305.237

§ 2305.237.

(A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section and subject to section 2305.239 of the Revised Code , a shelter for victims of domestic violence and a director, owner, trustee, officer,

employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter are not liable in damages in

a tort action for harm that a shelter client or other person who is on the shelter's

premises allegedly sustains as a result of tortious conduct of a perpetrator that

is committed on the shelter's premises if the perpetrator is not a director, owner,

trustee, officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter and if any

of the following situations applies: (1) The perpetrator illegally entered and illegally remained on the premises at the time

the perpetrator's tortious conduct allegedly caused the harm sustained by a shelter

client or other person who is on the premises. (2) The perpetrator legally entered the premises;  a director, owner, trustee, officer,

employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter instructed the perpetrator

to leave the premises, and took reasonable steps under the circumstances to cause

the perpetrator to leave the premises, before the perpetrator allegedly caused the

harm sustained by a shelter client or other person who is on the premises;  and, despite

those reasonable steps, the perpetrator remained on the premises and committed the

tortious conduct that allegedly caused the harm sustained by a shelter client or other

person who is on the premises. (3) The perpetrator legally entered the premises;  a director, owner, trustee, officer,

employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter granted the perpetrator permission

to remain on the premises after taking either of the following precautionary steps;

 and, despite taking either of those steps, the perpetrator committed the tortious

conduct that allegedly caused the harm sustained by a shelter client or other person

who is on the premises: (a) The director, owner, trustee, officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of

the shelter asks a person entering the premises whether the person is related by consanguinity

or affinity to or has resided with a shelter client;  the person responds that the

person is not so related and has not so resided;  and the director, owner, trustee,

officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer, in exercising the reasonable judgment

and discretion of a prudent person under similar circumstances, believes that the

person is not so related and has not so resided. (b) The director, owner, trustee, officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of

the shelter asks a person entering the premises whether the person is related by consanguinity

or affinity to or has resided with a shelter client;  the person responds that the

person is so related or has so resided;  and the director, owner, trustee, officer,

employee, victim advocate, or volunteer, in exercising the reasonable judgment and

discretion of a prudent person under similar circumstances, determines that granting

the person permission to remain on the premises does not appear to pose a threat of

harm to a shelter client or other person who is on the premises. (B) The immunity from tort liability conferred by division (A) of this section is not

available to a shelter for victims of domestic violence or a director, owner, trustee,

officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter if the plaintiff in

a tort action establishes, by clear and convincing evidence, that a director, owner,

trustee, officer, employee, victim advocate, or volunteer of the shelter contributed

to the harm sustained by a shelter client or other person who is on the shelter's

premises, by an action or omission that involved malicious purpose, bad faith, or

wanton or reckless conduct.  For purposes of this division, “ reckless conduct ” includes the release of confidential information that pertains to a shelter client.