Ohio Revised Code Title XLIX. Public Utilities § 4999.17

No railroad company, or its superintendent, or manager, employing any special agent, detective, or person commonly known as “spotter” for the purpose of investigating, obtaining, and reporting to the employer, its agent, superintendent, or manager, information concerning its employees, shall discipline or discharge any employee in its service, where such act of discipline or the discharge is based upon a report by such special agent, detective, or spotter, which report involves a question of integrity, honesty, or a breach of rules of the employer, unless such employer, its agent, superintendent, or manager, before disciplining or discharging such employee, grants such employee a fair opportunity to be heard in defense or explanation of the complaint against him, at which hearing said employer shall state specific charges on which said act or discharge is based and at which the accused employee has the right to furnish testimony in his defense.

Whoever violates this section shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. Such imprisonment, when imposed, shall be imposed upon the officers or agents of such company committing such offense.