Protestors hold signs about workplace violence at Ohio State while Rick Lucas, president of the Ohio Nurses Association, speaks to the Wexner Medical Center Board on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
The president of the Ohio Nurse Association called for an immediate and transparent investigation of the Wexner Medical Center’s response to a Nov. 6 physical altercation between a father and postpartum nurse during the board’s meeting Tuesday.
Rick Lucas addressed the board while several other members of the union stood in attendance with signs conveying statistics of workplace violence at Ohio State and a quote from the nurse who was involved in the Nov. 6 incident.
“We are advocating not only for the safety, wellbeing and fair treatment of the professionals who care for patients across OSU, but also for the patients we serve in the broader community that rely on this institution for high quality, safe and compassionate care,” Lucas said.
The association called for Elizabeth Seely, the chief administrative officer for the center, and other senior executives, as well as leaders of Ohio State police, the university’s public safety department and the medical center security, to be held accountable.
Dr. John Warner, CEO of the medical center, thanked Lucas for his presentation, emphasizing the importance of staff safety to the hospital.
“Nothing is more important than the wellbeing and safety of our team members, patients and visitors,” Warner said. “That includes making the support services that we have in place immediately available for our faculty, staff and learners.”
During the protest, Lucas listed examples, in addition to the postpartum nurse incident, of what he labeled as failures by the university to protect its staff.
According to Lucas, another incident occurred outside the 11th Avenue Garage on an unknown date, where two staff members were approached by a man, calling them names and threw an apple and stone at them, nearly missing both their heads.
No police report was taken, even though both staff members gave full details to responding officers and notifying hospital security, Lucas said. Later, he said that police said the suspect was located, but no arrest was made due to absence of a report.
Lucas listed one more incident, which occurred outside the Ohio State Dental Center, claiming that a man was yelling and waving his arms aggressively, forcing staff to retreat to their cars to wait for an escort to enter the building.
“Some staff are now navigating disability accommodations because they fear they can not run fast enough to survive similar attacks,” Lucas said. “Staff report anxiety, hypervigilance and trauma walking to and from work.”
Lucas mentioned what he described as ongoing hazards to staff safety between the transportation hub and the 12th Avenue Garage.
“Staff are forced to navigate dark, isolated areas alone, often early in the morning or late at night. Any footsteps, voices or approaching vehicles create immediate fear for personal safety,” Lucas said.
Lucas said these situations display a harmful workplace at the medical center and beyond.
“These situations represent gross neglect and inability to maintain a safe working environment for nurses, health professionals and all those on campus,” Lucas said.
The association demands action inside the hospital, claiming a need for security stations in high-risk units, like women and infant units, to provide immediate support. Lucas also called for comprehensive code violence protocols that are clear and are practiced effectively to protect staff members.
Lucas brought up the new inpatient tower, set to open Feb. 22, 2026, and how that is an opportunity to implicate new safety measures.
“Without substantial, immediate investment into these caring professionals who make this building a hospital, not just a collection of beds, this expansion will not succeed,” Lucas said. “It will fail and the people who will pay the price first are the very workers already carrying the patient care crisis on their back.”
