Thirty former Ohio State players join sexual abuse lawsuit
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 7
Thirty former Ohio State players join sexual abuse lawsuit
14 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 7
Attorney Rocky Ratliff said the men signed on to a federal case, with former NFL players Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson publicly identified.
Ratliff said shame, fear of confronting the university and the 2025 documentary “Surviving Ohio State” helped explain why they came forward years after litigation began.
Ohio State said it has settled with 317 survivors for more than $61 million and continues mediation over abuse allegations involving former team doctor Richard Strauss, who died in 2005.
Will depositions from top university leaders finally expose the full truth behind the Ohio State abuse scandal?
As abuse scandals plague college sports, what will it take to dismantle the institutional culture of silence?
Thirty Former Ohio State Football Players Join Landmark 2026 Lawsuit Exposing Decades of Sexual Abuse and Institutional Cover-Up
Overview
From 1978 to 1998, Richard Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students at Ohio State University, while officials failed to act on early complaints, allowing the abuse to continue. Survivors began filing lawsuits in 2018, leading to a 2019 investigation that confirmed the abuse and institutional failures. In April 2026, thirty former OSU football players joined the lawsuit, breaking decades of silence and challenging the university’s football legacy. A federal court ruling expanded survivors' rights to seek damages for long-term impacts. Despite over $61 million in settlements, many survivors remain in litigation, demanding deeper accountability, including removal of controversial donor Les Wexner’s name and governance reforms.