Ohio State University Reaches $100 Million Settlement With Sex Abuse Survivors

Key facts

• Ohio State University reached a $100 million settlement with nearly 300 former students.
• The settlement addresses accusations of sexual assault by campus doctor Richard Strauss.
• The alleged abuse occurred between 1978 and 1998.
• The university's board ratified the settlement with 279 of the 280 plaintiffs.
• Strauss was employed by the university's athletic department and medical staff for nearly two decades.

Ohio State University has reached a $100 million settlement with nearly 300 former students who accused campus doctor Richard Strauss of sexual assault. The settlement, ratified by the university's board on Wednesday, covers 279 of the 280 plaintiffs. The alleged abuse occurred between 1978 and 1998, during which Strauss was employed by the university's athletic department and medical staff. A 2019 investigative report detailed that Strauss had sexually abused at least 177 men, primarily students, and that university staff failed to act. This settlement follows earlier agreements, including eight additional settlements in February that brought the total to 304 survivors and over $60 million. More than 500 plaintiffs had sued Ohio State, alleging deliberate indifference to the abuse.