Doctor’s accusers: OSU staff knew of concerns

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Alumni who say they’re victims of sexual misconduct by an Ohio State University team doctor allege more than 20 school officials and staff, including two athletic directors, knew of concerns about how the physician treated young men but didn’t stop him.

The list of such employees grew Tuesday as 29 plaintiffs were added to one of the two pending lawsuits alleging Ohio State didn’t deal appropriately with the now-deceased doctor, Richard Strauss. He is accused of unnecessarily groping scores of athletes and others under the guise of medical care during his two decades at the school.

Former tennis player Ron McDaniel said he is frustrated that Ohio State didn’t do more to stop Strauss back when players voiced concerns to coaches or administrators, as McDaniel and some fellow plaintiffs in the updated lawsuit say they did.

Ohio State is “great in a lot of things, but when it came to protecting them from this guy, they didn’t do a very good job of protecting us,” McDaniel said in an interview.

The university has sought to dismiss the lawsuits as being time-barred by law but insists it is not ignoring the men’s stories. The allegations raised this year prompted Ohio State to have an outside law firm investigate .

The school is aiming “to thoroughly and carefully pursue the truth about what happened during Strauss’ time at Ohio State and what university leaders at the time knew,” spokesman Ben Johnson said in an email Wednesday. “We do not tolerate sexual misconduct and pledge to appropriately address the findings of the investigation.”

Strauss killed himself in 2005. His relatives have said they are shocked by the allegations.