[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/CHM-Previews-0647-2.jpg” title_text=”CHM-Previews-0647-2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#444444″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”10px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”14px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]Protesters advocate for Strauss survivors outside the ‘Shoe before the Ohio State-Michigan game on Nov. 26, 2022. Credit: Christian Harsa | Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#444444″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#444444″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Dismissed, appealed and delayed:” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”81px” background_color=”#444444″ custom_padding=”|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ title_text_shadow_color=”#E02B20″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_heading title=”Survivors of former Ohio State physician Richard Strauss enter 8th year of litigation with university” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”61px” custom_margin=”-40px|||||” custom_padding=”|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_heading title=”By Bailey Johnston | John R. Oller Special Projects Editor” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”41px” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”-40px|||||” custom_padding=”50px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||on||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”22px” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ text_line_height=”1.2em”]<\/p>\n
Please note this story contains mention of rape, sexual assault and suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, help is available through OhioHealth Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio, whose helpline can be reached at (844) 644-6435.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#444444″ custom_padding=”0px||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||50px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”]For many Ohio State students, the mention of Dr. Richard Strauss might prompt a blank stare or little recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The former Ohio State physician was responsible for 17 years of institutional sexual abuse at the university, yet his name has faded from the school\u2019s recent history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Strauss sexually abused at least 177 students \u2014 mostly male athletes \u2014 during his employment from 1978-98. Reports of his abuse were made to university staff multiple times, as early as 1979, yet the revelation of his conduct didn\u2019t become public until over a decade after he died by suicide in 2005.<\/span><\/p>\n Since 2018, more survivors have come forward and are now locked in legal battles over Ohio State\u2019s handling of Strauss\u2019 abuse. The university has faced a total of 37 lawsuits \u2014 five of which are still ongoing \u2014 and it has consistently challenged survivors\u2019 legal claims.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Almost nothing has been shared publicly since June 2023, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Ohio State\u2019s appeal over the statute of limitations on survivors\u2019 claims, sending their lawsuits back into Ohio courts for further proceedings.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, nearly eight years after filing their initial lawsuits, 235 survivors still await their first day in court, seeking accountability and compensation for the damages they allege Ohio State has caused them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Steve Snyder-Hill, one of the lead plaintiffs who attended Ohio State from 1991 to 2000, said though Strauss\u2019 abuse occurred decades ago, the university\u2019s response and actions in court continue to traumatize him and other survivors to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat Strauss did to us was disgusting,\u201d Snyder-Hill said. \u201cWhat [Ohio State] is doing to us, to me, is just as gross because they’ve continued to violate and traumatize us for eight years. Strauss did this one time for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n After a nearly two-year standstill in the pre-trial phase, two survivors will finally step foot in the courtroom \u2014 with one trial beginning in October 2026 and the other in April 2027. The arguments and evidence presented in these trials, as well as the jury\u2019s responses, could potentially guide the remaining cases to a resolution.<\/span><\/p>\n While Ohio State has already given over $60 million in settlements to survivors of Strauss, universities with similar sexual abuse cases have reached larger settlements. <\/span>Michigan State<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> paid $500 million to survivors of Larry Nassar in 2018, the <\/span>University of California<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> had a $1 billion payout to victims of Dr. George Tyndall in 2021 and the <\/span>University of Michigan<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> offered $490 million in settlements to survivors of Robert Anderson in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n University spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email Ohio State acknowledges Strauss\u2019 abuse and reaffirms its public apology.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe express our deep regret and apologies to all who experienced Strauss\u2019 abuse, and we have welcomed survivors to share their experiences with university leadership and the Board of Trustees,\u201d Johnson wrote. \u201cOhio State will be forever grateful to the survivors who participated in the independent Perkins Coie investigation. It could not have been completed without their strength and courage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n But for survivors, after nearly eight years since Strauss\u2019 actions became known, they are facing the reality that many students on campus have little knowledge about their ongoing cases. Now, The Lantern offers a comprehensive update on what has happened in these lawsuits, what is next and why it matters. <\/span> After multiple complaints \u2014 which date back to 1979 \u2014 were made of Strauss\u2019 sexual abuse during his medical exams, the university\u2019s Office of Student Affairs began an internal investigation in 1996 that ultimately led to his suspension from seeing patients the same year.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite his suspension, Strauss remained a faculty member in Ohio State\u2019s School of Public Health. He opened an off-campus men\u2019s clinic in 1996, where he continued sexually abusing students, according to a report prepared by Perkins Coie \u2014 a law firm that was hired by the university in 2018 to conduct an <\/span>independent investigation<\/span><\/a><\/span> into Strauss\u2019 abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Strauss voluntarily retired from the university in 1998 and was granted emeritus status \u2014 which was officially <\/span>revoked in 2019<\/span><\/a><\/span> by the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee \u2014 and later died by suicide in 2005. <\/span> The law firm\u2019s year-long investigation included 520 interviews with former students, student-athletes, university employees and other individuals. The investigation concluded in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n In an email, Johnson said Ohio State \u201cled the effort to investigate and expose Richard Strauss\u201d by hiring Perkins Coie and encouraging 115 thousand alumni and 147 thousand current students, faculty and staff to share information with the law firm. He said the university maintained an open line of communication with the broader community throughout the investigation and published its findings and relevant public records, which can be found in a <\/span>2019 news<\/span> release<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Perkins Coie concluded in its report that Strauss had sexually abused at least 177 male student-patients during his time of employment, though the actual number of survivors is likely higher, as the Perkins report states many \u201cnever responded to [their] outreach attempts,\u201d \u201cdeclined to participate\u201d or \u201cwere deceased.\u201d Ohio State released these findings on its Strauss Investigation <\/span>website<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n For some survivors, the Perkins report brought about memories that had been suppressed by trauma and the passage of time. Snyder-Hill recalls the moment he recognized Strauss in the news coverage following the report.<\/span> \u201cAs early as 1979, personnel in the University\u2019s Sports Medicine program and Athletics Department were aware that Strauss was conducting genital examinations on male athletes that were unusually prolonged, and that Strauss refused to allow athletic training staff to be present for these protracted genital examinations,\u201d the Perkins report states.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Perkins report, complaints about these exams were met with \u201cno meaningful action by [Ohio State] to investigate or address the concerns\u201d until 1996, when a series of reports led to disciplinary action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Perkins report states in 1994, Ohio State\u2019s then-director of sports medicine and head team physician conducted an investigation into male student fencers\u2019 reports of Strauss\u2019 abuse. The investigation found this abuse to be \u201cunfounded rumors,\u201d and the matter was not escalated beyond the Athletics Department to university staff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 1995, two male patients from Ohio State\u2019s Student Health Men\u2019s Clinic reported Strauss\u2019 inappropriate genital exams on separate occasions. The Perkins report stated \u201cStrauss denied impropriety,\u201d and Student Health took no further action beyond implementing a \u201cquasi \u2018chaperoning\u2019 policy\u201d for Strauss\u2019 exams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Former Student Health Director Dr. Ted Grace also falsely told one of these patients they \u201chad never received a complaint about Strauss\u201d in the years prior, according to the Perkins report.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Snyder-Hill said he reported Strauss\u2019 sexual abuse to the Student Health Center in 1995. In response, he said Grace \u201clooked [him] in the eye and told [him] nobody had ever complained\u201d of Strauss\u2019 behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Lantern previously <\/span>reported<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> a student had made a complaint about Strauss\u2019 abuse just days before Snyder-Hill.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 1996, the Perkins report states a third male patient from Ohio State\u2019s Student Health Men\u2019s Clinic reported being fondled by Strauss during a medical exam. Ohio State \u201ctook disciplinary action against Strauss\u201d within days of the complaint and put him on administrative leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The report also concluded the university \u201chad knowledge of Strauss\u2019 sexually abusive treatment\u201d because of these complaints; however, they were not escalated to university personnel outside of the Athletics Department or Student Health until 1996.<\/span> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=”Michael V. Drake” job_title=”Former Ohio State president” quote_icon_color=”#AF0C07″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”Oswald||||||||” body_font_size=”25px” author_font=”Oswald|700|||||||” author_text_color=”#AF0C07″ author_font_size=”22px” position_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_orientation=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”]\u201cOn behalf of the university, we offer our profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss\u2019 abuse. <\/span>Our institution\u2019s fundamental failure at the time to prevent this abuse was unacceptable \u2013 as were the inadequate efforts to thoroughly investigate complaints raised by students and staff members.\u201d<\/span> \u201cThe university is covering the cost of professionally certified counseling services and other medical treatment to Strauss survivors and their families for as long as needed,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe have also reimbursed costs for pre-existing counseling and treatment related to Strauss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Synder-Hill said though these services are offered, he still does not feel supported by Ohio State due to its handling of settlements and ongoing litigation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re telling people you support us, but then all your real actions are showing exactly what you\u2019re doing as well,\u201d Snyder-Hill said. \u201cWhat survivor feels comfortable going to seek any kind of support that [Ohio State] is offering?\u201d<\/span> \u201cOhio State has reached settlement agreements with more than half of the plaintiffs, 296 survivors, for more than $60 million,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cAll male students who filed lawsuits have been offered the opportunity to settle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Lantern <\/span>reported<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> the average settlement offered to these survivors was $252,000 per person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rick Schulte, the lead negotiator for the firms of survivors who have settled with the university, said in a 2020 Ohio State News <\/span>release<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> these settlement amounts were determined by an \u201cindependent confidential process\u201d \u2014 established by Schulte and the university \u2014 that evaluated each survivor\u2019s claim and accounted for \u201cwide variations in abuse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Per prior Lantern reporting<\/a><\/span>, other universities have paid significantly more to survivors of similar abuse cases: Michigan State paid an average of $1.2 million to each of 332 survivors, while the University of Southern California paid the same average amount to each of 710 survivors. At the University of Michigan, more than 1,000 survivors received an average of $438,000 each.<\/span> \u201cAfter extensive negotiations, we were able to reach a settlement on behalf of our clients,\u201d Schulte said. \u201cThe bravery of our clients is humbling. We are pleased that Ohio State stepped forward and did the right thing. This settlement will help our clients move forward with the healing process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Debbie Greenberger \u2014 partner of New York-based law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward and Maazel \u2014 said she is representing Snyder-Hill and others in their legal proceedings against Ohio State. She said the university\u2019s settlement offers for survivors were inadequate, as the offers \u201cdemanded a gag order\u201d preventing them from criticizing Ohio State\u2019s handling of Strauss from 2018 onwards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Strauss Individual Settlement Program<\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2014 one of Ohio State\u2019s five settlement offers that is no longer active \u2014 detailed similar <\/span>conditions<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> to participate in the program, as it required survivors to \u201ccease, and not engage in the future, in any disparagement of Ohio State\u2019s handling of this matter since March 2018.\u201d Participating survivors were also required to waive their right to sue the university for Strauss-related claims and were not guaranteed settlement payments just because they participated in the program.<\/span><\/p>\n In an email, Johnson said \u201cthe settlement agreements do not prohibit survivors from talking about Strauss\u2019 abuse publicly.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Snyder-Hill said he and other survivors have not settled with Ohio State because the program\u2019s conditions left room for the university to silence survivors\u2019 criticisms of how their claims were handled, while also denying them monetary compensation for the abuse they faced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, we chose not to settle, but [Ohio State] didn’t say that then, that [the university] could have just [given] us the middle finger and told us we don’t get anything,\u201d Snyder-Hill said. \u201cBecause that’s exactly what could have happened.\u201d<\/span> Snyder-Hill\u2019s case \u2014 which <\/span>began in July 2018<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> \u2014 is the largest of the five, involving 107 survivors in the \u201cPublic Justice\u201d group, represented by law firms Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady War and Maazel, Public Justice and Scott Smith, according to Greenberger.<\/span><\/p>\n The Lantern reached out to Ohio State\u2019s attorneys for comment on the Snyder-Hill lawsuit; however, Johnson said in an email they are unable to do so because of the ongoing litigation status.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the same year of Snyder-Hill\u2019s filing, Ohio State <\/span>argued for the case\u2019s dismissal<\/span><\/a><\/span>, citing Ohio\u2019s two-year statute of limitations for Title IX claims. In September 2021, Southern Ohio District Judge Michael H. Watson <\/span>granted this dismissal<\/span><\/a><\/span>, and all survivors\u2019 cases were dropped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For survivors, Ohio State\u2019s focus on the expiration of their claims was damaging. Snyder-Hill said though the university didn\u2019t deny survivors\u2019 claims, its successful attempt at getting them thrown out felt like a dismissal of the abuse they faced.<\/span> \u201cThe district court erred,\u201d Moore said, according to court <\/span>records<\/span><\/a><\/span>. \u201cThe plaintiffs adequately allege that they did not know and could not reasonably have known that Ohio State injured them until 2018.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ohio State filed a <\/span>petition<\/span><\/a><\/span> for a writ of certiorari \u2014 a review by a higher court \u2014 to the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2023, asking them to overturn the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit\u2019s reversal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a statement published in an Ohio State News <\/span>release<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, Ohio State said this petition \u201cdoes not question survivors\u2019 accounts of sexual abuse\u201d by Strauss. Instead, it was asking the U.S. Supreme Court to \u201cuphold commitment to statutes of limitations that begin when an injury occurs \u2014 not decades later.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ohio State\u2019s petition was denied in June 2023, leaving the previous ruling intact and permitting the survivors\u2019 cases to proceed with litigation. <\/span> Since the release of the Perkins report and the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s denial of the university\u2019s petition, Ohio State has continued to publicly condemn both Strauss\u2019 abuse and the university\u2019s lack of preventative measures at the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Greenberger, however, said in an email these statements contradict the university\u2019s legal arguments in court \u2014 starting with its attempt to dismiss the Perkins report as evidence.<\/span><\/p>\n The Perkins report is a key document that supports the survivors\u2019 claims of sexual abuse. The survivors\u2019 attorneys wanted this report to be filed as evidence, but Ohio State <\/span>argued<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> it was \u201cinadmissible hearsay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ohio State <\/span>maintained<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> that though the report was used to \u201cbring closure and attempt reconciliation\u201d for survivors, it was unreliable because of unavailable documents, witnesses and other material due to time passage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Greenberger said in an email the Perkins report is not hearsay since Ohio State hired the law firm to investigate complaints of Strauss\u2019 abuse, act as its agent in the matter and adopt its findings by publishing its conclusions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The court has yet to rule on the admissibility of the Perkins report, but Greenberger wrote that this decision will be made closer to the 2026 and 2027 trials.<\/span><\/p>\n Since 2023, attorneys for both Ohio State and survivors have been preparing for a <\/span>bellwether trial<\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2014 a \u201ctest\u201d case that helps streamline the 107 total cases \u2014 to help determine how a jury will react to the survivors\u2019 claims.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Strauss\u2019 history at the university” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”left” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” title_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-40px|||||” custom_padding=”27px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”6px|||||” custom_padding=”30px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Strauss was hired as both a team doctor for several men\u2019s sports and a physician at Ohio State\u2019s Student Health Center in 1978. He also held faculty positions in the university\u2019s College of Medicine and later the School of Public Health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/Screen-Shot-2018-07-27-at-7.22.43-PM-2kklux5.jpg” title_text=”Screen-Shot-2018-07-27-at-7.22.43-PM-2kklux5″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-35px||5px|||” custom_padding=”14px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”|116px||120px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Richard Strauss in his Ohio State College of Medicine photograph. A federal court unsealed testimony Tuesday from university employees that detail administrators’ knowledge of Strauss’s abuse. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/college-of-medicine.jpg” title_text=”college of medicine” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-22px|60px||||” custom_padding=”|1px||60px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]The College of Medicine, as seen in 2022. Richard Strauss held a faculty position at the college in 1978. Credit: Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/college-of-public-health.jpg” title_text=”college of public health” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-22px|60px||||” custom_padding=”|1px||60px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]The College of Public Health, as seen in 2022. Richard Strauss held a faculty position at the formerly known School of Public Health in 1978. Credit: Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”12px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Perkins investigation and findings” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/Steve-In-Uniform-2-1.jpg” title_text=”Steve-In-Uniform-2-1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”40%” custom_padding=”14px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”-30px||9px|||” custom_padding=”10px||30px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Steve Snyder-Hill during his time serving in the U.S. Army. Credit: Courtesy of Steve Snyder-Hill
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]According to the university\u2019s Strauss Investigation <\/span>website<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>,<\/span> the Perkins Coie investigation was launched in April 2018, less than a week after the university received a former student-athlete\u2019s report of Strauss\u2019 abuse during his employment \u2014 17 years after it received the first complaint of this nature.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=”Steve Snyder-Hill” job_title=”Plaintiff” quote_icon_color=”#AF0C07″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”Oswald||||||||” body_font_size=”25px” author_font=”Oswald|700|||||||” author_text_color=”#AF0C07″ author_font_size=”22px” position_font=”Oswald||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]\u201cWhen I saw his face on TV,\u00a0 it knocked me [off] my feet. Because I was like \u2014 I knew right then, that that was him, and I didn’t know that that was his name. I couldn’t remember his name. That was 24 years earlier, but I was like, \u2018That’s the guy.\u2019\u201d<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]The Perkins report also found that Strauss\u2019 sexual abuse was known as early as 1979, just a year into his employment.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/michael-drake.jpg” title_text=”michael drake” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”190px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-22px|-1px|342px|||” custom_padding=”|39px||3px||false” global_colors_info=”{}”]Ohio State then-President Michael V. Drake, as pictured Sept. 9, 2019 in his office during a sit-down interview with The Lantern. Credit: Amal Saeed | Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/IMG_4521-1ewcr4f.jpg” title_text=”IMG_4521-1ewcr4f” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-22px|-1px|122px|||” custom_padding=”|39px||3px||false” global_colors_info=”{}”]Dr. Strauss survivors Stephen Snyder-Hill, Brian Garrett and Mike Schyck prepare to speak at the Board of Trustees meeting at the Longaberger Alumni House on Nov. 16, 2018. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Ohio State\u2019s response” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”right” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” custom_margin=”-40px|||||” custom_padding=”35px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” text_orientation=”right” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]In response to the Perkins report, Ohio State publicly condemned Strauss\u2019 abuse and its own previous lack of prevention efforts on its Strauss Investigation <\/span>website<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” text_orientation=”right” custom_margin=”6px|||||” custom_padding=”30px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Johnson said in an email Ohio State remains committed to providing support services for survivors.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Ohio State\u2019s settlements” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”]Since 2018, more than 500 survivors have filed numerous lawsuits against Ohio State for Title IX claims, citing the university\u2019s lack of response to Strauss\u2019 sexual abuse. By July 2022, Johnson said in an email more than half of these survivors had settled with the university.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/College-Bar-Graphs-3.JPEG-copy.jpeg” title_text=”College Bar Graphs 3.JPEG copy” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”40px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-26px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Credit: Reid Murray | Managing Editor for Design
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”34px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]In a 2020 Ohio State News <\/span>release<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, Schulte said the university \u201cdid the right thing\u201d by providing survivors with settlements averaging $252,000 each and helping them move past their experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Litigation: Dismissal, appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Currently, 235 survivors have not settled with Ohio State and are instead pursuing litigation in five related cases. Survivors are grouped into five separate plaintiff groups based on their legal representation and specific claims against the university.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=”Steve Snyder-Hill” job_title=”Plaintiff” quote_icon_color=”#AF0C07″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”Oswald||||||||” body_font_size=”25px” author_font=”Oswald|700|||||||” author_text_color=”#AF0C07″ author_font_size=”22px” position_font=”Oswald||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]\u201cThey just basically run a big ship, and then they just close the door and go home at night and clock out and don’t worry about it. But at the end of the day, they’re ruining lives because \u2014 that’s their answer: \u2018Yeah, you were raped. It’s just been too long. Sorry.\u2019 And that’s the way that they’ve conducted it.\u201d<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Survivors <\/span>appealed this decision<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2022, and Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore overturned the previous court\u2019s decision, allowing survivors\u2019 cases to continue litigation.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Re-filing of the Snyder-Hill litigation” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Oswald||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#af0c07″ title_font_size=”60px” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px||” title_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ title_text_shadow_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2025\/04\/IMG_2191.jpg” title_text=”IMG_2191″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||on||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-26px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Steve Snyder-Hill and Gary Avis, both survivors of former university physician Richard Strauss, address the Ohio State Board of Trustees at its full meeting Nov. 18, 2021. Credit: Mary Kidwell | Lantern File Photo
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Oswald||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Snyder-Hill\u2019s case and the four other related cases were <\/span>re-filed<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, and each resumed litigation in September 2023. Survivors are seeking the same compensation from Ohio State as when their cases were first filed: for damages caused by the university\u2019s deliberate indifference \u2014 or lack of action despite alleged knowledge \u2014 to Strauss\u2019 abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n