Ohio State University Reaches $100 Million Settlement Over Sexual Abuse Claims

Ohio State University has decided to pay approximately $100 million to resolve claims from hundreds of former student-athletes who accuse a doctor associated with the school of historical sexual abuse. This agreement was reached on Wednesday.

The university has been contending with a federal lawsuit since 2018, initiated by ex-student-athletes asserting that they were not protected from abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss. Strauss worked at the university’s off-campus clinic from 1978 until 1998 and died in 2005.

During a board meeting on Wednesday, the trustees at Ohio State approved preliminary agreements with 280 survivors, with only one individual remaining in a lawsuit with ongoing charges. Successfully concluding this settlement might bring a close to an extensive legal struggle and a painful chapter in the university’s past.

“I genuinely believe that all survivors of Strauss’s abuse are and will always be a part of our family and community,” stated Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda at a recent gathering. “We are incredibly thankful for their bravery in speaking out, and reaching a final resolution is crucial for us and an important step forward.”

In a report from several years back, it was established that university officials were aware of the allegations against Strauss, which first surfaced in 1979. However, they supposedly did not investigate or take any significant action for many years.

On Wednesday, Ohio State and the plaintiffs jointly expressed gratitude to the arbitrator and mentioned that they were finalizing the agreement details. The university had previously reached settlements exceeding $61 million with 317 survivors, as indicated by university officials. Many of these former student-athletes opted to keep their identities confidential through signed and sealed contracts, with several notable former NFL players identified as victims, according to attorneys involved in related cases.