Cleveland committee holds proposed ordinance to elevate menacing a health-care worker after hospitals, police and council seek more city-specific data

The Cleveland Public Safety Committee on April 1 held Ordinance 1380-2025, which would add a specific menacing offense for health-care workers and elevate the penalty to a first-degree misdemeanor, after hospitals and police urged stronger penalties and council members pressed for clearer, city-specific data and prosecutorial outcomes.

Ashley Withrow, director of the Center for Workplace Violence Prevention and Caregiver Well-being at Cleveland Clinic, told the committee that both national research and Cleveland Clinic reporting show workplace violence "continuing to increase in the health-care setting." She said the proposed change would "provide a clear and consistent framework" and a stronger penalty that could deter threats against caregivers.

The ordinance would amend section 621.07 of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances to define a health-care worker broadly (doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, unarmed crisis responders, aides, laboratory…