Ohio State University will reportedly pay $5.8 million to settle the lawsuits brought by about two dozen survivors of sexual abuse by former team doctor Richard Strauss. The latest figure ups the total payout for 185 survivors of Strauss’ alleged abuse to $46.7 million, according to the school.
The Associated Press reports that nearly 400 men have filed lawsuits against the school for its failure to stop Strauss from preying on them over his two decades at Ohio State. The accusers claim that Strauss, who died in 2005, groped them during medical exams at campus athletic facilities, in an off-campus clinic and at his home. No one has publicly defended Strauss since his first alleged victim came forward more than two years ago.
Since then, hundreds have stepped up to say that they too were victims of Strauss’ abuse, and more than 200 of those alleged victims still have pending claims in federal court. Ohio State has apologized to victims, and has pledged to seek “restorative justice.”
The latest settlement will be split between 23 survivors, some of whom are represented by attorney Rick Schulte, who sent out a release praising the university for doing “the right thing.”
Ohio State has said that settlement payouts do not come from tuition or from taxpayer dollars, but are financed from discretionary funds.
Ongoing lawsuits brought by Strauss accusers are seeking compensation more akin to what survivors of Dr. Larry Nassar’s abuse during his tenure as a team doctor at Michigan State University. That case saw more than 500 victims receive a $500 million settlement.
