Jarod's Law was an Ohio law written in response to the accidental death of a 6-year-old elementary school student in Lebanon, Ohio, United States. The law was passed in 2005 but was repealed 4 years later after complaints that the regulations proved too costly for schools to enact as written.
Background On December 19, 2003, 6-year-old Jarod Bennett was attending an after-school YMCA program at Louisa Wright Elementary School when a 290-pound folded cafeteria table fell on top of him. Jarod died minutes later in his mother's arms.Details wlwt.com Tri-State Student Dies When Cafeteria Table Falls On Head The subsequent investigation revealed that the tables were known to be dangerous but nevertheless used in schools across the state. Jarod's Law, passed in late 2005, required more inclusive safety inspections of schools.Details wlwt.com School Safety To Get Closer Look Under 'Jarod's Law'
After their son's death, Bennett's parents advocated for updates in school safety and created House Bill 203, known as "Jarod's Law," which would expand mandatory safety regulations for schools in a host of categories. The law's primary sponsor was state representative Tom Raga.
Impact Jarod's Law went into effect on October 1, 2009 and mandated for all public and private schools:
Annual school inspections by the Ohio State Board of Health to identify safety concerns
Publicly available inspection reports for schools Mandatory written plans to remedy noncompliant items deemed "hazardous to occupants" Review of school's remediation plans to ensure compliance Auditing and review by the state's auditor's office Creation of the School Health and Safety Network in Ohio Chief administrator cooperation with School Health and Safety Networks, particularly with providing access to the premises and school records
School officials planned to review safety and health concerns in areas like plumbing, fire safety, water temperature in school sinks, storage, playground mulch, and indoor air quality.
A few years after the law's enactment, chool officials and state representatives complained that the benefits of the law outweighed the costs to implement the law's requirements. In 2009, it was repealed in response to the complaints, as the regulations proved to onerous for most school districts.Details wlwt.com 'Jarod's Law' No Longer Ohio LawDetails wlwt.com Lawmaker: 'Jarod's Law' Repealed Because Of Cost Concerns Local health departments stated that despite the repeal, schools made strides in safety because the regulations induced safety review in Ohio schools.
Memorial Jarod Park in Lebanon has been named in honor of Jarod Bennett. It is located near the corner of S.R. 48 and Cook Road near the school where he was killed.
References
External links Laws, Acts, and Legislation The Bennet family's Jarod Law Website