As used in this chapter:
(a) "Age" means at least forty (40) years old.
(b) "Disability" means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one (1) or more major life activities, including the functions of caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working; a record of a physical or mental impairment; or being regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.
(c) "Physical or mental impairment" includes any of the following:
(1) Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one (1) or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genitor-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine;
(2) Any mental or psychological disorder, including, but not limited to, orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, sickle cell, human immunodeficiency virus infection, intellectual disabilities, emotional illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism.
(3) "Physical or mental impairment" does not include any of the following:
A. Pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, or other sexual behavior disorders;
B. Compulsive gambling, kleptomania, or pyromania;
C. Psychoactive substance use disorders resulting from current illegal use of controlled substance.
(d) "Discriminate", "Discrimination", or "Discriminatory" includes segregated or separated or any difference in treatment.
(e) "Employee" does not include any individual employed in the domestic service of any person
(f) "Employer" means any person who employs four (4) or more persons, within the City of Worthington, including the City of Worthington, its departments, boards, commissions, and authorities.
(g) "Employment agency" means any persons regularly undertaking with or without compensation, to procure opportunities for employment or to procure, recruit, refer, or place employees.
(h) "Familial status" means either of the following:
(1) One (1) or more individuals who are under eighteen (18) years of age and who are domiciled with a parent or guardian having legal custody of the individual or domiciled, with the written permission of the parent or guardian having legal custody, with a designee of the parent or guardian;
(2) Any person who is pregnant or in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who is under eighteen (18) years of age.
(3) "Family" includes a single individual.
(i) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth, which gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for an improper purpose.
(j) "Housing accommodations" including any buildings or structure or portion thereof which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied as a home residence or sleeping place of one (1) or more individuals, groups or families, whether or not living independently of each other; and any vacant land offered for sale or lease. It also includes any housing accommodations held or offered for sale or rent by a real estate broker, salesman, or agent, or by any other person pursuant to authorization of the owner, by the owner, or by such person's legal representative.
(k) "Labor organization" includes any organization which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or for other mutual aid or protection in relation to employment.
(l) "Military status" means a person's status in "Service in the uniformed services" as defined in Section 5923.05 of the Ohio Revised Code.
(m) "Person" includes one (1) or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, and trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and other organized groups of persons. It also includes, but is not limited to, any owner, lesser, assignor, builder, manager, broker, salesman, agent, employee, lending institution; and the City of Worthington and all political subdivisions, authorities, agencies, boards and commissions thereof.
(n) "Place of public accommodation" means any inn, restaurant, eating house, barbershop, public conveyance by air, land or water, theater, store, or other place for the sale of merchandise, or any other place of public accommodation or amusement where the accommodation advantages, facilities, or privileges thereof are available to the public.
(o) "Restrictive covenant" means any specification in a deed, land contract or lease limiting the use of any housing because of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, or military status or any limitation based upon affiliation with or approval by any person, directly or indirectly, employing race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, or military status as a condition of affiliation or approval.
(p) "Service in the uniformed services" means the performance of duty, on a voluntary or involuntary basis, in a uniformed service, under competent authority, and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty for training, full-time national guard duty, and performance of duty or training by a member of the Ohio organized militia pursuant to Chapter 5923 of the Ohio Revised Code. "Service in the uniformed services" includes also the period of time for which a person is absent from a position of public or private employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any duty described in this division.
(q) "Sex" means male or female. The terms "because of sex" and "on the basis of sex" include pregnancy, any illness arising out of and occurring during the course of a pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
(r) "Sexual orientation" means a person's actual or perceived homosexuality, bisexuality; or heterosexuality.
(s) "Uniformed services" means the Armed Forces, the Ohio organized militia when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, or full-time national guard duty, the commissioned corps of the public health service, and any other category of persons designated by the president of the United States in time of war or emergency.
(t) "Marital status" means a person's state of being single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed.
(u) "Genetic information" means the hereditary information about DNA sequence, genetic sequence, gene products, or inherited characteristics contained in chromosomal DNA or RNA that are derived from an individual or family member.
(v) "Unlawful discriminatory practice" means any act prohibited by Chapter 539 of the Worthington City Codes.
(w) "Law Director" means the Worthington Law Director or a designee appointed by the Worthington Law Director.
(x) "Hearing Officer" means the person appointed by the Worthington City Manager, in consultation with the Worthington Community Relations Commission.
(y) "Source of Income" means a lawful financial resource or form of assistance which the recipient appropriately discloses, and which can be verified and substantiated as derived from wages, investments, trusts, child support, spousal support, grant or loan programs, or any federal, state, or local assistance payments, benefits, or subsidy programs including but not limited to vouchers for rent or housing, foster child assistance, public assistance, emergency rental assistance, veterans benefits, social security, supplemental security income, or other government programs, or any financial assistance programs administered by a nonprofit entity.
(Ord. 32-2021. Passed 7-19-21.)