OHIO LAW
Notice to Cleveland Metroparks Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Cleveland Metroparks.   Volunteers provide an important role in the programs of the Park District and your contributions are valued and appreciated.

This sheet is to share information and requirements about Senate Bill 187 which was signed into law on March 22, 2001 by Governor Bob Taft. This law outlines requirements for adult volunteers who regularly interact with children.   The law seeks to protect children by establishing a mechanism to conduct criminal background checks on volunteers who regularly have "unsupervised" access to children.   This is the same type of background check that currently is required by teachers, day-care workers and school bus drivers.

As an organization that provides services to youth and that utilizes volunteers, Cleveland Metroparks created a procedure to abide by these requirements. This law also requires that Cleveland Metroparks notify all volunteers within the organization about these requirements.

Many children take advantage of Cleveland Metroparks programs and facilities, therefore, part of your activities may require you to have unsupervised access to children during the course of your volunteer work. Cleveland Metroparks requirements include conducting fingerprinting, a criminal background investigation and/or drug screening of all volunteers who will have regular unsupervised access to children (as determined in the volunteer position description); additionally Cleveland Metroparks may follow the same procedures for volunteers with any access to children, whether supervised or unsupervised.

The Park District's objective is to provide quality learning experiences within a safe environment for all participants. These activities are made possible because of dedicated volunteers like yourself. Following is a list of offenses, in conjunction with Senate Bill 187, which Cleveland Metroparks uses to determine disqualification of a candidate.   

Please contact Heather Triplett, Manager of Volunteer Services, at 216-635-3258 with any questions.

Thank you

Senate Bill 187: Offenses listed under
Section 109.572 (A)(1)

Aggravated murder; specific intent to cause death
Murder
Voluntary manslaughter
Involuntary manslaughter
Felonious assault
Aggravated assault
Assault
Failing to provide for functionally impaired person
Aggravated menacing
Patient abuse, neglect

Kidnapping
Abduction
Child stealing
Child enticement

Rape
Sexual battery
Corruption of a minor
Gross sexual imposition
Sexual imposition
Impositioning (now importuning)
Voyeurism
Public indecency
Felonious sexual penetration
Compelling prostitution
Promoting prostitution (children)
Procuring
Prostitution: after positive HIV test
Disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
Pandering obscenity
Pandering obscenity involving a minor
Pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor
Illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material or performance

Aggravated robbery
Robbery
Aggravated burglary
Burglary

Unlawful abortion
Endangering children
Interference with custody
Contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child

Domestic violence

Carrying concealed weapons
Having a weapon while under a disability
Improperly discharging a weapon at or near a school or dwelling

Corrupting another with drugs
Trafficking in drugs
Illegal manufacture of drugs or cultivation of marijuana
Funding of drug or marijuana trafficking
Illegal administration or distribution of anabolic steroids
Possession of drugs (that is not a minor drug possession offense)

Placing harmful objects in food or confection

And any “substantially equivalent offense.”

Volunteer application and opportunities checklist