Attorney: Ex-Ohio State football players among those abused
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An attorney preparing a lawsuit against Ohio State University on behalf of more than 50 former athletes who claim they were sexually abused by a team physician told The Associated Press on Saturday that most of those clients were football players from the school’s storied program, including some who went on to play in the NFL.
The proposed lawsuit suggests there were far more victims of Dr. Richard Strauss than investigators detailed in a 232-page report made public Friday by a law firm hired by the university. The report found that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students but made only one specific reference to football players while listing how many athletes from each team were abused.
Dayton attorney Michael Wright said Strauss’ abuse of football players and other athletes he’s representing occurred during required physical examinations at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and during treatment for injuries and ailments at Strauss’ off-campus clinic and at his home, where he insisted they be seen.
The firm’s report said three football players were interviewed. Wright said he was not aware that any of his clients were interviewed by investigators from the Seattle-based Perkins Coie law firm.
Strauss, a physician at Ohio State for nearly 20 years, killed himself in 2005 nearly a decade after he was allowed to retire with honors.
An Ohio State spokesman declined to comment.
Investigators found that Strauss’ abuse went on from 1979 to 1997 and took place at various locations across campus, including examining rooms, locker rooms, showers and saunas. Strauss contrived, among other things, to get young men to strip naked and he groped them sexually.
The report concluded that scores of Ohio State personnel knew of complaints and concerns about Strauss’ conduct as early as 1979 but failed for years to investigate or take meaningful action.
“It was known he was seeing these athletes and there were issues,” Wright said.
Wright said he plans to file the lawsuit late next week and, for now, that his clients prefer to remain anonymous.
“Clearly they had good relationships with the university, and they believe the university will either retaliate or significantly distance themselves from these athletes,” Wright said.
Some of Strauss’ victims remain angry in the aftermath of the report’s release about how Ohio State has treated them in the decades after he ogled and groped them during physical examinations and strength to keep fighting and medical to ensure Ohio State treatment. is held accountable for the
Former damage and trauma they nursing student caused me and my family.” Brian Steven Snyder-Hill, who Garrett said he is “Student B” in the report, worked for a short time at remains angry about the an off-campus clinic Strauss lack of cooperation he has opened after he was ousted received from Ohio State at Ohio State in the late in obtaining records he finally 1990s. But Garrett quit after received Friday. The witnessing abuse by report details how Strauss Strauss and then experiencing molested him during a student it himself. health center visit in
The investigation, he 1995, prompting him to file said, left him angrier than a complaint with university before. medical officials.
“We knew that it was “It feels like to me that systemic and it had been the No. 1 concern (of Ohio reported,” Garrett said Friday. State) is not the kids they’re “It’s even more widespread supposed to protect there,” than we knew.” Snyder-Hill said. “Their No.
Garrett compared the 1 concern is their reputation. abuse carried out by Strauss They need to convince to that of ex-Michigan State us now that they’re going to University sports doctor do the right thing in 2019.” Larry Nassar, who was accused Ohio State President Michael of molesting at least Drake said there was 250 women and girls and is a “consistent institutional serving what amounts to a failure” at the school, the life sentence in prison. nation’s third-largest university.
“We did not get to put him He apologized and on trial. The police did not commended victims for get to investigate. That’s their courage. why it’s worse than the Nick Nutter, an All-American MSU case,” Garrett said. wrestler at Ohio State “He took the easy way out.” in the mid-1990s, said he
No one has publicly defended hasn’t had a chance to read Strauss, though family the entire report, but said members have said they based on what he knows were shocked by the allegations. that Perkins Coie “did their homework well.”
The whistleblower credited Nutter said Strauss molested with prompting the him virtually every investigation said in a statement time he saw him for physical he feels “vindicated” exams and treatment for but has mixed feelings the various injuries he received about the law firm’s findings. during his five years on the wrestling team.
Mike DiSabato, a former He said he was taught Ohio State wrestler, to be respectful to authority met with school officials in figures like coaches and March 2018 to discuss the doctors, which made him abuse that he and other athletes the “perfect victim” for an suffered at the hands abuser skilled at using his of Strauss, prompting the authority to abuse young school to hire Perkins Coie men who didn’t know any to conduct an investigation. better.
“Although a weight has Three federal lawsuits been lifted off my back, I am have been filed thus far deeply saddened to hear and against the university. Two relive the stories of so many of those suits are headed for others who suffered similar mediation. A third was filed abuse by Dr. Strauss while last week with five plaintiffs. Ohio State turned a blind They seek unspecified eye,” DiSabato’s statement damages. said. Drake said the investigation
He says the Perkins Coie alone has cost the report gives him “courage school $6.2 million.