Gavarone bill would protect student athletes from abuse

COLUMBUS — State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, on Wednesday introduced legislation meant to help protect student-athletes from bullying, harassment, intimidation or abuse by school employees or volunteers. Ohio Senate Bill 259 would allow students to transfer their eligibility to another district or school and compete as part of a team in that district or school. Gavarone's proposal comes in the wake of the recent convictions of a personal trainer from Perrysburg in connection with sexual offenses against high school student-athletes. "I submitted the bill in response to the recent conviction of a Bowling Green High School coach on 19 charges, including rape, sexual battery and gross sexual imposition," said Gavarone, whose district includes part of Wood County. "Victims of such abuse should not be forced to endure further suffering by being required to play sports at the same school or be obligated to sit out after a transfer. Protecting our children must be our highest priority in order to ensure our families, and our state, have a bright future." The bill would apply to all students in kindergarten through 12th grade, in public or private schools, chartered and unchartered, as well as home-schooled students. The Ohio State Athletic Association would enforce the transfer provision when a school chooses to accept transfer students under the purpose of the bill, though the receiving school would not be required to do so. If such students transfer, they would not be required to sit out a portion of the season by the OHSAA. The bill follows a Wood County jury's conviction of Zachary Gibson of offenses against student-athletes who engaged in weight training under Gibson's supervision at Fastrack, a now-closed gym in Perrysburg. Gibson was fired from his job at Fastrack after allegations against him surfaced in 2022. Gibson, 32, had his bail revoked after he was convicted, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30. Gibson could be sentenced to as many as 98 years in prison. "The response to the amount of damage that he has done we anticipate will be serious," Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson has said. "I mean, we are going to be asking for a great deal of prison time."