This May 8, 2019 photo shows a sign for Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. On Friday, May 17, 2019, the school said at least 177 men were sexually abused by Ohio State team doctor Richard Strauss who died years ago, according to findings from a law firm that investigated the accusations, concluding that school leaders knew at the time.
A now-dead Ohio State team doctor sexually abused at least 177 male students over nearly two decades, and university officials knew what he was doing and did little to stop him, according to an investigative report released by the school on Friday.
Dr Richard Strauss committed the abuse from 1979 to 1997 — nearly his entire time at Ohio State — in episodes involving students from at least 16 sports, plus his work at the student health centre and his off-campus clinic, the report said.
The report on Strauss, who took his life in 2005, could cost the university heavily by bolstering the lawsuits brought against Ohio State by a multitude of victims.
It also puts Strauss in a league with gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of Michigan State University, who was accused of molesting at least 250 women and girls and is serving what amounts to a life sentence. Michigan State ultimately agreed to a $500 million settlement with his victims.
In releasing the report, Ohio State President Michael Drake offered "profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss' abuse." He called it a "fundamental failure" of the institution and thanked victims for their courage.
Many of Strauss' accusers who have spoken publicly said they were groped and inappropriately touched during physical exams, or ogled in locker rooms. Many told investigators that they thought the doctor's behaviour was an "open secret" and that they believed their coaches, trainers and other team doctors knew about it.
The students described the examinations as being "hazed" or going through a "rite of passage." Athletes joked about Strauss' behaviour, referring to him with nicknames like "Dr Jelly Paws."
The law firm hired to conduct the investigation for the school interviewed hundreds of former students and university employees. The report concludes that university personnel at the time knew of complaints and concerns about Strauss' conduct as early as 1979 but failed for years to investigate or take meaningful action.
As the allegations against him mounted, investigators said, Strauss pleaded with university administrators to keep his job. That included sending a letter in 1997 to then-university president Gordon Gee. A message seeking comment was left Friday for Gee, now president of West Virginia University.
Strauss, a well-regarded physician and sports-medicine researcher, was eventually let go as a team doctor and physician at the student health centre. But he was allowed to retire from a faculty position at the university and received emeritus status, a mark of distinguished service. The university said it will revoke the honour.
No one has publicly defended him, though family members have said they were shocked by the allegations.
At least one of the students, a 14-year-old high school wrestler at the time of Strauss' abuse, told investigators Strauss molested other minors during the course of the doctor's work with high schools and an Ohio State wrestling camp. No other such accounts were included in unredacted portions of the report.
Previous to Friday's release, his accusers had alleged more than 20 school officials and staff members, including two athletic directors and a coach who is now a congressman, were aware of concerns about Strauss but didn't stop him.
Neither that congressman, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, nor any other coaches are mentioned by name in the report.
Most of those claims are part of lawsuits against Ohio State that are headed to mediation. They seek unspecified damages.
The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights also is examining whether Ohio State responded "promptly and equitably" to students' complaints.
Employment records shared by Ohio State reflect no major concerns about Strauss before he retired in 1998. But alumni said they complained as early as the late 1970s, and Ohio State has at least one documented complaint from 1995.
The State Medical Board of Ohio said it never disciplined Strauss but acknowledged having confidential records about the investigation of a complaint involving him. Board records indicate Ohio State reported Strauss to the agency at some point but include no details.
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