COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University has agreed to pay around $100 million to settle legal claims from hundreds of former student athletes who reported being sexually abused by a doctor at the university decades ago.
The legal disputes began in 2018, with former student athletes filing lawsuits against the university for not stopping the abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked at Ohio State from 1978 until 1998. Strauss also operated an off-campus clinic and passed away in 2005.
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In a meeting on Wednesday, the university’s Board of Trustees approved a preliminary agreement with nearly all of the 280 survivors still involved in ongoing litigation. Finalizing this settlement could put an end to a long and painful legal battle, closing a difficult chapter in Ohio State’s history.
“The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes, will always be a part of our family and our community, and I firmly believe that,” said Ohio State’s President Ravi Bellamkonda during the meeting. He expressed gratitude for the courage shown by the survivors in coming forward and emphasized the importance of reaching a resolution.
An independent report released years earlier revealed that many university personnel were aware of complaints about Strauss’ conduct as early as 1979 but failed to take appropriate action for years.
In their joint statement on Wednesday, the university and the plaintiffs expressed thanks to mediators and indicated that they were working to finalize the details of the settlements.
Previously, Ohio State had already settled with 317 survivors for over $61 million. Some former student athletes had signed agreements that kept their identities confidential, and among the victims were former NFL players, according to a lawyer involved in one of the lawsuits.
