30 Former Ohio State Footballers Join Federal Strauss Abuse Lawsuit as Payouts Top $61 Million
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 24
30 Former Ohio State Footballers Join Federal Strauss Abuse Lawsuit as Payouts Top $61 Million
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 24
Thirty former Ohio State football players were added on May 7 to a federal lawsuit over sexual abuse by ex-team doctor Richard Strauss, expanding a case that already threatens tens of millions of dollars in further liability.
Strauss, who died in 2005, is believed to have abused hundreds of male student-athletes over decades; former wrestler Rocky Ratliff, now a lawyer, says repeated genital exams followed treatment for an ankle sprain.
Ohio State has already settled with hundreds of victims for more than $61 million, and a trial in the federal case is expected later this year.
The lawsuit lands as the university cycles through its fourth president in six years after President Ted Carter resigned in March over misuse of public funds tied to an inappropriate relationship.
Ohio State's wider strain includes scrutiny over donor Les Wexner, political fallout involving Rep. Jim Jordan's denied knowledge of abuse, and financial pressure from weaker enrollment trends despite the university's $19 billion economic footprint.
With Jeffrey Epstein's secrets still emerging, can Ohio State afford to keep its top donor's name on campus?
Can a new president hired without a national search truly fix the deep-rooted scandals plaguing Ohio State University?
As Ohio State navigates a DEI ban, are its curriculum workarounds a clever strategy or a risky deception?