Ohio State: Over 100 talk about sexual misconduct by doctor
COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 100 former students have provided firsthand accounts of sexual misconduct by the nowdead Ohio State University team physician at the center of an ongoing investigation, the university said Friday.
Over 200 former students and university employees have been confidentially interviewed by independent investigators reviewing allegations against Richard Strauss. The allegations involve male athletes from 14 sports as well as from Strauss’ work at the student health center and his off-campus medical office, University President Michael Drake said. The alleged misconduct took place from 1979 to 1997, during most of Strauss’ two decades on the faculty and medical staff.
“We are grateful to those who have come forward and remain deeply concerned for anyone who may have been affected by Dr. Strauss’ actions,” Drake said. “We remain steadfastly committed to uncovering the truth.”
Ohio State has urged anyone with information to contact the Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie’s investigators, who are looking into the allegations, what university officials knew and how they responded to any concerns about Strauss. They also are reviewing whether Strauss examined high school students.
The university announced the investigation in April after allegations about Strauss were brought forward.
The school said investigators are accepting anonymous reports and noted that they aren’t proactively reaching out to potential victims because they want to avoid re-traumatizing anyone who doesn’t want to revisit such an experience.
Those who say they’ve been interviewed include wrestlers who said they were groped during physicals, and a former student who said he witnessed and experienced sexual abuse one day while working at Strauss’ off-campus medical office in the mid-1990s.
Also interviewed was U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, ROhio, who denies some wrestlers’ claims that he knew about abuse when he was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 1987 to 1995.
The head coach back then, Russ Hellickson, similarly has said he would have reported any abuse if he had been aware of it.
Former athletes said they verbally raised concerns about Strauss as early as the late 1970s.
His employment records released by the university referenced no reprimands or disciplinary action over any such concerns.
Strauss killed himself in 2005.