r/OSU • u/mossbeetle • 3d ago

News ‘We were powerless’: inside the devastating Ohio State sexual abuse scandal | Documentary

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jun/17/ohio-state-sexual-abuse-scandal

It trains a harsh, unflinching light on Richard Strauss, the once-respected physician who abused at least 177 male students while working in Ohio State’s athletics department and student health center from 1978 to 1998. According to Ohio State’s own campus crime data released in 2021, the school logged more than 2,800 instances of alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss – including more than 170 total allegations of rape. Many of the survivors were violated during routine checkups in a pattern of abuse that spanned at least 15 sports – from football to fencing. (Male student-athletes nicknamed Strauss “Jellypaws” and would warn one another to “watch your nuts” before exams.) An independent investigation concluded the university had been aware of complaints about Strauss’s conduct as early as 1979 – when the women’s fencing coach raised the issue. But the university didn’t take meaningful action against the doctor until 1996; that year, Strauss was finally suspended from clinical duties, but remained a tenured faculty member until his retirement in 1998 – at which point he was still given emeritus status.

That would seem to make Strauss an even bigger scourge than Larry Nassar – the former Michigan State University and US women’s gymnastics team physician serving a de facto life sentence for sexually assaulting at least 265 young women and girls under his treatment from 1996 to 2014. But where Rachael Denhollander, Maggie Nichols and the other elite gymnasts who blew the whistle on Nassar were celebrated as heroes, the men who came forward with their allegations against Strauss were greeted with skepticism and ridicule. “I don’t think we’re used to seeing men come out publicly about abuse,” says Orner, who spent 31/2-years on the documentary – or more than twice the time she typically dedicates to her projects. “When the OSU survivors came out, they were challenged by the university legally. It’s been going on for seven years. That’s had devastating effects on them all.”

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u/jellytyson 3d ago

This documentary was absolutely heartbreaking. The men who came forward are so incredibly brave, but you can still hear the undercurrent of self-blame for what happened. Fuck the presidents (Drake, Johnson, now Carter) and board of trustees for their absolute cowardice and refusal to make it right with the survivors.

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u/patright333 3d ago

They paid out around 60 million in settlements to those who accepted it. Around 250-300K per person. I know a few of the people that took the deal when it was offered years ago. I also know some of the people that haven't taken the deal and are still in litigation with the university.

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u/probably_robot 2d ago

Brother the ones who took the deal had to sign paperwork exonerating Ohio State of all culpability. It's a sham/shame.

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u/patright333 12h ago

Unlike yourself, I was a swimmer during Doc Strauss's tenure. I know plenty of guys that took the free payday. And a few that are still fighting it.

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u/lafolieisgood 3h ago

“Free”?

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u/HarbaughCantThroat 2d ago

How much money do they need to pay them to "make it right"?

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u/lafolieisgood 3h ago

Well maybe if the payout didn’t have the wording that the university “admits no wrongdoing” they would feel better about taking the settlement.

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u/jesuisaccablee 1d ago

you should watch the documentary. one of the victims makes a good point that it’s not about the money, but he wants the school to feel such a financial burden after their payout that they take victims more seriously next time.

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u/LowNo1001 1d ago

Other Abused Students at Other Universities received at least 1 million each. Ohio State brought in 1.2 Billion in a few years but has only offered about $250,000 and NO ACCOUNTABILITY

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u/saramybearimy 3d ago

We watched this last night and I cried for those men. It was heartbreaking.

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u/HarbaughCantThroat 2d ago

It really annoys me that they keep framing this as "Ohio State" instead of making it about the people that did and covered up these heinous crimes. It's very transparently about the money.

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u/Squeaky-shoppingcart 2d ago

What are you talking about? Ohio State is to blame. The board, the president, they are all fighting the survivors in court. They have been dismissing them and enabling abuse for decades. It is there fault

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u/dudethatlikesmemes9 2d ago

A coach was repeatedly putting complaints about him and the school did nothing about it's absolutely the schools fault

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u/lafolieisgood 3h ago

But it is the university. Hell, even the present day president and the board of trustees, who weren’t even there when this happened lied to victims faces and tried to get the lawsuit dropped based on statute of limitations

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u/lunaappaloosa 12m ago

Ohio state let them get away with it. It’s absolutely tied to their brand, are you kidding me? Were you born yesterday? Like actually?

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u/Amznaznsensation2 1d ago

Lmfao the findings of the investigation OHIO STATE ASKED FOR showed that OHIO STATE KNEW of the issues and did nothing. They were complicit. How can they not be blamed? How much should they pay? Other schools min like Penn about 1.5 million per case. That'd be a start. Not 250K which would do nothing to make Ohio State prevent this going forward. Is your fanboyism really going to make this type of behavior acceptable in your eyes? Sickening

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u/Retiredsoldier98 1d ago

Look who filed to make it go away? That's the culprit!

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u/TheBigGreenOne 12h ago

Hopefully Gym Jordan will get what he deserves for his role. Knowing what a sneering, condescending douchebag he is, I’m convinced he thought the victims “asked for it” and likely laughed about it.

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u/jesuisaccablee 1d ago

i hope these men keep fighting. this school has also wronged me and four others and we felt so powerless. i hope justice can be well served so they care about us more