Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons
Ohio State University’s Board of Trustees has approved a preliminary $100 million settlement with hundreds of former student athletes who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of team physician Dr. Richard Strauss, bringing a significant chapter of the university’s long-running legal battle closer to resolution.
What Happened
Trustees signed off on the agreement on Wednesday, covering all but one of the 280 survivors who had claims in active federal litigation. Strauss worked at Ohio State for two decades, from 1978 to 1998, and also operated a private off-campus clinic during that period. He died in 2005, before the full scope of his conduct became the subject of formal legal action.
Federal lawsuits against the university began in 2018, and an independent investigation later concluded that Ohio State personnel had been made aware of complaints about Strauss as early as 1979 — nearly the beginning of his tenure. Despite those findings, the university continued to contest the claims in court for years.
By the Numbers
- $100 million — amount of the preliminary settlement just approved
- 280 — survivors with pending claims covered by the new agreement
- 317 — survivors covered in earlier settlement rounds
- $61 million — total paid out in those previous settlements
- 1979 — year internal complaints about Strauss first surfaced, according to the independent investigation
Who Was Affected
The abuse reached across multiple athletic programs, and several former NFL players were among those who came forward. Many survivors had entered sealed agreements that kept their identities confidential. Combined with the earlier rounds of settlements, Ohio State has now committed well over $160 million to compensate victims of Strauss’s conduct.
University President Ravi Bellamkonda acknowledged the survivors’ continued connection to the institution, saying, “The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes, will always be a part of our family and our community.”
Zoom Out
The Ohio State settlement is among the largest of its kind tied to a single physician at a major university. It follows a broader national pattern of institutions facing accountability for systemic failures that allowed predatory conduct by trusted medical personnel to go unchecked for years. Similar high-profile cases have emerged at Michigan State University and the University of Southern California, reflecting the scale of the problem across collegiate athletics.
Legal accountability for institutional misconduct continues to draw attention at all levels of government. Courts across the country are increasingly being called on to address long-standing grievances — a trend visible in cases ranging from university athletics to redistricting and civil rights disputes working their way through the federal system.
What’s Next
The settlement remains preliminary and will require additional legal steps before funds are distributed. The university has not announced a finalized timeline for when survivors can expect to receive payments. One claimant among the 280 is not included in the current agreement, and it is unclear whether that case will proceed separately or be resolved through additional negotiations.
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