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Ohio State Team Doctor Sexually Abused 177 Students

Ohio State Team Doctor Sexually Abused 177 Students

May 21, 2019 — An investigation by Ohio State University found 177 students who were sexually abused by Dr. Richard H. Strauss since the 1970s.

Investigators described how Dr. Strauss groped students, required students to strip naked for exams unnecessarily, showered with students several times a day, loitered in the locker room area, and asked intimate questions about sexual practices.

Dr. Strauss was the team physician for several sports at Ohio State. His victims included 48 male wrestlers, but athletes from more than a dozen sports were sexually abused.

Numerous lawsuits are now pending against the university by victims, many who say Dr. Strauss’s actions were an “open secret” on campus. Several students also said their complaints were relayed to higher authorities in the athletic department, only to be ignored.

Dr. John Lombardo, Ohio State’s director of sports medicine, investigated the accusations against Dr. Strauss in 1994 after concerns were raised by a former fencing coach.

Dr. Lombardo dismissed the complaints as “unfounded rumors,” but that summer, Dr. Strauss was suspended and removed from his post. Even so, Dr. Strauss remained a tenured faculty member and opened an off-campus clinic, where he continued to sexually abuse students.

Do I have a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sexual abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been sexually abused by Dr. Strauss at Ohio State University, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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