School District Hiring Resources
The Ohio Department of Education, Office of Professional Conduct is here to support schools and districts during the hiring process. Schools and districts are
required to check educator profile before hiring and are
permitted to request referrals from the Office of Professional Conduct. Below is more information about these resources.
Educator Profile Check
Prior to making any hiring decision, each district or chartered nonpublic school must consult the educator profile database maintained by the Department. Educator Profile provides current information regarding the status of an educator’s license or licensure applications, as well as any public discipline received by the educator. If an educator has received public discipline or is progressing through the disciplinary hearing process a box below their name will appear that reads, “Educator Conduct Search: Yes – Click here to review records for this educator."
Referral Requests
Schools and districts may request referral records from the Department for educators that the district is considering for employment. The Office of Professional Conduct will provide any mandatory school district referrals in response to these requests. The information received is confidential and may not be shared. To make a referral request, submit the form below to requests.conduct@education.ohio.gov.
Referral request
Misconduct Reporting
To make a misconduct referral on behalf of a school or district, submit the form below to educator.conduct@education.ohio.gov.
School District Reporting Form
General Questions
General Questions
Can the Department provide the school or district referral information for any educator?
No, schools and districts may only request this information for educators that they are considering for employment.
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Can the referral documents received from the Department be shared with the educator?
No, Ohio law requires that the information received be kept confidential and not be shared or disseminated.
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If the Department received a referral for an educator does that mean the educator was/will be investigated and disciplined?
No, the existence of a referral alone does not indicate that an educator was/will be investigated or disciplined. The Office of Professional Conduct analyzes every referral to determine if a full investigation is warranted. If an investigation is opened, the office will review the evidence obtained during the investigation and legal considerations to determine whether to pursue disciplinary action. Educators involved in the disciplinary process have a right to due process including an administrative hearing prior to the issuance of discipline. More information on the educator disciplinary process is available here.
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What information will be received after I submit a request form?
The Department will provide copies of any referral forms and supporting documents provided by other districts or schools as part of mandatory referrals. If requested, the Department will also provide any public discipline received by the educator. This disciplinary information is also publicly available here: educator conduct search.
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Who may make a referral request on behalf of a school or district?
Ohio law requires that the “appointing or hiring officer” make this request. The Department will ask that you certify that you are an appointing or hiring officer for your school or district before providing the documents requested.
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Will all referrals received by the Department be provided to the requesting school or district?
No, only mandatory referrals are permitted to released to a school or district. A mandatory referral is a referral made pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 3314.40, 3319.313, 3326.24, 3328.19 or 5126.253. Discretionary referrals or referrals from other sources cannot be provided.
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Last Modified: 12/5/2021 9:50:28 AM