Cleveland Increases Penalties for Menacing Healthcare Workers
Cleveland has passed new emergency legislation to increase protections and legal consequences for medical staff facing workplace violence. Through Ord. No. 1380-2025, the City Council amended the local code to heighten penalties for anyone who knowingly causes a healthcare worker to believe they will cause physical harm to that person or their property. This move follows a recommendation from the Cleveland Clinic to address rising rates of workplace violence and harassment.
What's in the file
The ordinance amends Section 621.07 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland to specifically address the menacing of healthcare workers. The legislative record provides the following changes and requirements:
- Increased Penalties: Menacing a healthcare worker is now classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, provided the hospital offers de-escalation, crisis intervention, or trauma-informed care training.
- Mandatory Sentencing: If the victim is a healthcare worker performing official duties, the convicted offender must serve a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least three days. This sentence cannot be suspended and is not eligible for early release, house arrest, or work release.
- Broadened Definitions: The definition of "healthcare worker" includes direct providers and indirect staff.
- Annual Public Reporting: The Director of Public Safety and the Department of Public Health must prepare an "Annual Menacing Incidents in Healthcare Settings" report for City Council. This report must be made available on the City’s website no later than March 31st of each year.
The following table compares the penalty changes for menacing under the new ordinance:
| Provision | Current Penalty (Fourth-Degree Misdemeanor) | New Penalty for Healthcare Workers (First-Degree Misdemeanor) |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Jail Time | 30 days | 6 months |
| Maximum Fine | $250 | $1000 |
| Mandatory Minimum Sentence | None | 3 days |
The annual report will include aggregated, anonymized data regarding the total number of reported incidents, the number of charges filed, the types of healthcare settings involved, geographic distribution, and demographic data.
Who may be affected
- Healthcare Workers: Includes doctors, nurses, radiology technologists, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, unarmed crisis responders, aides, helpers, laboratory technicians, emergency dispatchers, and medical waste handlers.
- Department of Public Safety: Responsible for preparing the annual incident report.
- Department of Public Health: Responsible for coordinating the annual incident report.
- City Prosecutor's Office: Urged by Council to carefully consider filing charges based on healthcare worker complaints.
Status and timeline
- October 24, 2025: Ordinance 1380-2025 was introduced to City Council.
- November 14, 2025: The ordinance was amended in the Safety Committee to expand the definition of healthcare workers.
- Current Status: The emergency ordinance has passed.
Residents can verify these details and review the full text of the legislation by visiting the Cleveland City Council website.
Source record
- File
- 1380-2025
- Type
- Emergency Ordinance
- Status
- Passed
- Committee
- City Council
- Introduced
- October 23, 2025
Official documents
- 1380-2025 Griffin - Ordinance amending 621.07 re increasing penalty for menacing healthcare worker
- 1380-2025 PRESENTATION
- 1380-2025-Legislative Summary
- 1380-2025 Amendments..
- 1380-2025 Ordinance Desk copy, health care worker..
- 1380-2025 FINAL VERSION-CITY RECORD JUNE 12, 2026 PG. 33