What Can I Do About an Ex Who Is Stalking Me and Sabotaging My Job in Ohio?
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 1, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
My ex has been harassing me at work. He has destroyed three of my vehicles and created a hostile environment for me on the job. This has caused people to disrespect me, taunt me, laugh at me, bully me, and sabotage me. I'm being singled out at my job. What can I do?
Attorney Answer
Destroying your vehicles and repeatedly showing up to cause problems at your workplace go well beyond an ugly breakup. Ohio has real tools for this, both criminal and civil, and it's worth using more than one of them at the same time.
Repeatedly damaging your property can be charged as criminal damaging under Ohio Revised Code 2909.06, and a pattern of conduct that makes you believe you're in danger of harm or serious mental distress can be menacing by stalking under Ohio Revised Code 2903.211. Because you've already reported this, make sure each incident, each vehicle, each workplace appearance, has its own police report, even if it feels repetitive. Separate reports build the documented pattern that both criminal charges and a protection order depend on.
You can also ask a court for a civil stalking protection order under Ohio Revised Code 2903.214, which is available even though he's an ex rather than a current spouse or someone you live with. This kind of order can require him to stay away from you and from specific places, including your workplace, and violating it is itself a crime.
The coworkers' behavior is a separate issue. General teasing or unkindness from coworkers usually isn't illegal on its own unless it's tied to a legally protected reason, like sex, race, or another protected characteristic. But your employer still has an interest in workplace safety, and many employers have policies for handling threats or a dangerous ex-partner situation, sometimes including added security, schedule changes, or a workplace violence policy.
What you can do
1. Keep reporting every incident to police individually and get a report number each time. 2. Ask your employer's HR department, in writing, what workplace safety measures exist for situations involving stalking or a dangerous ex-partner. 3. Save everything: messages, voicemails, security footage requests, photos of vehicle damage, and witness names. 4. File for a civil stalking protection order through your county's common pleas or domestic relations court. 5. Talk to an attorney about pursuing both criminal charges and a protection order together, since they move through different processes.
This is general legal information, not legal advice, and a local Ohio attorney can help you build the strongest possible protection order petition and advise you on the criminal process at the same time.
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Courts & Legal Aid in Ohio
- File or look up a case through the Supreme Court of Ohio, which serves the state.
- Get free civil legal help from Ohio Legal Help.
- Use the LSC — Find Legal Aid to find a local legal-aid office by ZIP code.
- Use the LawHelp.org to browse free legal information and self-help resources.
- Use the ABA Lawyer Referral Directory to get matched with a local attorney through your state bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a protection order against an ex I never lived with or married?
Yes. Ohio's civil stalking protection order does not require you to have been married to or lived with the respondent, only that a pattern of conduct under the menacing by stalking law occurred.
What if my employer doesn't do anything to help?
Keep your written requests on file. If the harassment continues on company property, that documentation may matter for a protection order and could support a separate complaint if the inaction creates an unsafe workplace.
Will filing a police report for each incident really help?
Yes. A documented pattern across multiple incidents is often what makes the difference between a stalking case that's easy to dismiss and one a prosecutor or judge takes seriously.
