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Grove City adopts ordinance banning unlawful discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations
Summary
After a public hearing and second reading, Grove City Council adopted Ordinance C49‑25 to add Chapter 5.50 to the city code prohibiting unlawful discriminatory practices; a local business owner urged passage as necessary to attract workers and businesses.
Grove City Council voted to adopt Ordinance C49‑25, adding Chapter 5.50 to the city’s codified ordinances to prohibit unlawful discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
Miss Anderson introduced the second reading and public hearing, outlining that federal and state law prohibit discrimination on multiple bases and that the proposed city ordinance would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, familial status, marital status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, among other listed classes.
Local business owner Brian Parks spoke in support, identifying himself and his Grove City address for the record: “This ordinance is about fairness, nothing more, nothing less,” he told the council, adding that the measure would help Grove City attract new residents and a strong workforce as the Grove City Innovation Center develops. Parks listed neighboring Central Ohio communities that have adopted similar protections and urged the council to leave a legacy of standing “on the right side of history.”
Council members who spoke in favor said the ordinance aligns Grove City with other municipalities in the region and will help the city recruit employers and jobs; after the public comment period the council moved and approved the ordinance during its second reading and public hearing.
What it does: the ordinance codifies protected classes in local law and sets the city’s policy against unlawful discriminatory practices in housing, employment and public accommodations. Council members noted that some federal courts have interpreted certain protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity in employment contexts and that local action addresses gaps where state courts have not taken the same positions.
Next steps: the ordinance was approved at second reading and will be enacted according to the city’s codification schedule; councilors said staff will follow up on implementation details and enforcement procedures as needed.
