Ohio State University has agreed to a $100 million settlement covering sexual abuse claims brought by former students involving campus doctor Richard Strauss. According to multiple outlets, the agreement applies to 279 of 280 former students with pending litigation; the university’s board ratifies the settlement with all but one plaintiff. The lawsuits, filed in federal court beginning in 2018, accuse the university of failing to protect students from abuse by Strauss, who worked with the athletic department and medical staff for about two decades and retired in 1998. Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
The settlement follows years of litigation and additional prior resolutions. Several reports say Ohio State has already reached other settlements with survivors totaling more than $60 million, with the combined number of people who have settled described as several hundred. A university investigation report in 2019 stated Strauss sexually abused at least 177 men, with staff knowledge allegedly not leading to action, which contributed to the lawsuits.
Details are described as continuing to be finalized under mediation confidentiality, with information to be shared as appropriate.
