Can My Employer Legally Make Me Pay For A Customer’s Damage That I Didn’t Cause?

location: Ohio

I work at a small, locally owned hardware store, and something happened yesterday that I’m really confused and worried about. A customer knocked over a display of power tools while trying to reach one of the boxes on the top shelf. Nothing I did caused it. I was standing on the other end of the aisle stocking smaller items, and the security cameras clearly show that the customer lost their balance and pulled the whole thing down.

My manager told me at the end of my shift that the owner is “tired of losing money to accidents” and that employees are now responsible for “preventable losses.” She told me I’ll have to pay for half the cost of the damaged items, which is about two hundred dollars. I’m hourly and don’t make a lot, so that amount is a lot for me. She said it will come out of my next couple of paychecks.

I’ve never heard of an employer making someone pay for something that they didn’t cause, and especially when the cameras show the customer knocking everything over. I asked if this was legal, and she said it’s store policy and “perfectly allowed.”

I don’t want to get fired, but I also can’t afford to lose that much money. I’m trying to understand what my rights are before I say anything else. I’m not asking how to fight it or what to say to them, just whether an employer in my state can legally deduct pay for damage that the worker didn’t cause.

Is it legal for them to take this out of my paycheck in my state, or does this violate any wage laws?