A lawsuit filed Monday against Ohio State in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio revealed that 29 new plaintiffs are alleging they were abused by Dr. Richard Strauss between the early 1980s and 2000.
An investigation in 2019 determined that Ohio State had knowledge of Strauss’ repeated sexual abuse of students and failed to act. At least 177 students were abused between 1979 and 1998, when Strauss retired from his position as a physician in the athletic department and the student health center.
The university has publicly apologized for Strauss’ actions and already settled with 185 plaintiffs for a total of about $47 million, according to reports.
One plaintiff in the newest suit alleged that Strauss abused him both as a minor and as an Ohio State student. He says it began when he was 16 during a high school wrestling tournament on Ohio State’s campus. He later attended the university and competed in both wrestling and football, and the abuse from Strauss allegedly continued.
Strauss died by suicide in 2005, and no one has come forward to publicly defend him since his victims began to come forward with their allegations.
–Field Level Media