More Than 100 Ohio State Alumni Allege Abuse by Former University Sports Doctor

Associated Press

More than 100 former Ohio State University students have alleged that Richard Strauss, a former OSU sports doctor, sexually abused them, the university announced on Friday. The allegations span the years 1979 to 1997, when Strauss worked at the institution.

The announcement is the latest news in Ohio State’s investigation into Strauss, who died by suicide in 2005. Ohio State opened the investigation in early April, after a former wrestler reported Strauss’s alleged abuse of him to the university. Investigators at Perkins Coie, the law firm conducting the inquiry, have interviewed more than 200 former students and staff members, and plan to speak with at least 100 more, according to the university.

Strauss served as a team physician in the Ohio State Athletic Department from 1981 to 1995. He was also the team doctor for the wrestling team for at least part of his tenure at the university. And he was an attending physician on the university’s medical staff and worked part time for its Student Health Services in the 1990s, according to the institution.

Former male athletes in 14 varsity sports have reported abuse, as well as former patients of Student Health Services. Strauss had a private medical office in Columbus, Ohio, and former patients in the practice have also reported sexual misconduct, according to the university. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that Strauss treated high-school students.

Four former wrestlers are suing the university, alleging that it ignored direct complaints about the abuse.

Three former wrestlers told NBC News in early July that Strauss would shower with athletes and molest them during appointments. They described the abuse as an open secret on their team. In a video sent to Ohio State in June, a former head wrestling coach, Russ Hellickson, said he had told administrators about Strauss’s behavior and had warned Strauss to stay away from the athletes, NBC reported.

Strauss may have worked at up to five other institutions before moving to Ohio State, according to his résumé. He may have been employed at Harvard and Rutgers Universities and the Universities of Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Washington, according to the document. A spokesman for Rutgers told the Associated Press that the university had found no record of Strauss’s employment there.

Ohio State said it had contacted more than 115,000 alumni, including former athletes, and reached an additional 147,000 people through universitywide notifications. It has also established a web page to provide information about the investigation.

Follow Claire Hansen on Twitter at @clairechansen, or email her at claire.hansen@chronicle.com.