Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), a Trump confidante, has also been accused of covering up Strauss’s alleged misconduct.
The Ohio State University is facing another lawsuit alleging that school officials failed to protect students from former athletics physician Richard Strauss.
According to NBC News, Strauss is accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of students and athletes.
“Dr. Richard Strauss is dead. He can’t pay for his crimes,” the suit says. “Only his enabler is left.”
And the enabler here, suggests the suit, is Ohio State. Nearly 350 across the country are suing the university for its failure to properly investigate and discipline Strauss for misconduct.
“The numbers don’t lie,” the suit states. “These men were repeatedly sexually abused by Strauss at different times, in different manners.”
However, NBC notes that many complaints against Strauss and the university do tend to follow a similar trend. Accounts provided by plaintiff Dr. Mark Chrystal, along with 48 other “John Does,” suggests a pattern of isolation and excuse. Oftentimes, Strauss would use the guise of physicals and medical treatment to molest his young clients.
“The day before his exam some of the older members of the soccer team ‘joked’ about the physicals with Dr. Strauss, stating that he was a ‘pervert’ and he was ‘only interested in inspecting genitals,” Chrystal claimed in his complaint.
Just a day after hearing the rumors, Chrystal says he himself was subjected to “an invasive physical exam.” As Strauss conducted the procedure, he allegedly made “degrading and inappropriate comments.”
Others have shared similar stories. For instance, another NBC article recounts how John Doe 42—a professional referee—said that Strauss masturbated in front of him in a shower following a wrestling match.
When Doe 42 reported the incident directly to state Rep. Jim Jordan, the lawmaker—then an assistant coach at OSU—laughed it off, saying “that’s Strauss.” The team’s then-head coach, Russ Hellickson, reacted similarly. Because of their apparent indifference, Doe 42 and the suit say it’s clear that Ohio State faculty knew about the abuse but didn’t take it seriously.
Jordan, a confidante of President Donald Trump, has denied the allegations.
“Congressman Jordan never saw or heard of any kind of sexual abuse, and if he had he would’ve dealt with it,” said Jordan spokesman Ian Fury. “Multiple investigations have confirmed this simple fact.”
Hellickson, at least, seems to have been informed of Strauss’s wrongdoing.
“When you’re doing weigh-ins, you’re too hands on, Doc,” the suit recalls Hellickson once telling Strauss. Hellickson, says NBC, had been aware of the physician’s predation by members of the wrestling team.
NBC adds that a report by law firm Perkins Coie—prepared for Ohio State—found that Strauss’s misconduct was an “open secret” at the school, which administrators and coaches alike did little to publicize or correct.
Sources
New lawsuit in Ohio State sex abuse scandal brings number of victims to nearly 350
Referee says he told Rep. Jim Jordan that Ohio State doctor performed sex act in shower
Second person says he told Rep. Jim Jordan about sexual misconduct at Ohio State
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