Why It Matters
The settlement marks a significant financial and legal milestone for Ohio State University in Ohio, bringing the institution closer to closing out one of the largest sexual abuse scandals in college sports history. The agreement provides compensation to hundreds of men who say they were victimized by a university-employed physician over nearly two decades.
What Happened
Ohio State University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on June 3 to approve a $100 million settlement with 279 survivors of abuse committed by former university physician Richard Strauss. Of the 280 remaining victims who were still pursuing claims, 279 agreed to the terms.
Strauss worked as a physician for both the Ohio State Athletics Department and the Student Health Center. An independent investigation found that he sexually abused at least 177 male victims between 1979 and 1996. He retired from the university in 1998 and died by suicide in 2005 at the age of 67.
University President Ravi Bellamkonda addressed survivors directly following the vote, saying, “The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes, will always be a part of our family and our community, and I continue to believe that.”
The latest agreement is not Ohio State’s first in this litigation. The university had previously reached six separate settlements covering more than 300 victims, totaling $61 million. Federal court litigation in the Strauss cases dates to 2018.
By the Numbers
$100 million — amount of the latest settlement, covering 279 victims.
$61 million — combined total of six prior settlements with more than 300 victims.
177 — male victims documented in an independent investigation into Strauss’s conduct.
30 — former Ohio State football players counted among the victims.
17 years — span of Strauss’s documented abuse, from 1979 to 1996.
Legal Complications
Not all of the Strauss cases are heading toward resolution through settlement. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a motion on May 10 seeking to dismiss 77 of the abuse cases, citing a statute of limitations cutoff date of October 21, 1986. That move drew attention from survivors and their attorneys, who have contested the legal basis for the dismissals.
The cases have also carried political dimensions. Jim Jordan, who served as an Ohio State wrestling coach from 1987 to 1995, has faced persistent claims from survivors who allege he was aware of Strauss’s conduct during his tenure. Jordan has denied having any knowledge of the abuse.
Zoom Out
The Ohio State–Strauss litigation is among the largest institutional sexual abuse settlements involving a university in U.S. history, comparable in scale to cases stemming from abuse by team physicians at other major athletic programs. The cases have raised broader questions about how universities supervise medical staff with access to student-athletes and the adequacy of existing reporting structures within collegiate athletic departments.
Universities across the country have faced mounting pressure to implement stronger oversight mechanisms following high-profile abuse scandals, and Ohio State’s legal exposure in this matter has spanned nearly a decade of federal court proceedings.
What’s Next
With the June 3 approval in place, the $100 million settlement will move toward distribution among the 279 participating victims. The 77 cases targeted by Attorney General Yost’s motion remain in dispute, and a court ruling on the statute of limitations argument will likely determine whether those claimants can continue to pursue their cases. Ohio State has not publicly indicated whether additional settlements are anticipated for any remaining litigants.
For more on education policy developments in Ohio, see coverage of the Ohio Legislature’s recent reading and math intervention bill and ongoing debates over proposed restrictions on DEI programs in K-12 schools.