Ohio State University will pay another $5.8 million to settle 23 sexual abuse lawsuits against Richard Strauss, a former team doctor who used to work in the athletic department.
The average payout is around $252,000 per survivor, which is the same amount that OSU paid in another settlement back in May that went to 162 survivors.
Including both settlements, OSU has agreed to pay a total of $46.7 million to resolve cases involving 185 survivors of Strauss’s sexual abuse.
Strauss was accused of groping the genitals of young male athletes during exams, anal penetration during exams, showering naked with students multiple times per day, sitting on a stool to watch students shower, and requiring students to strip naked for exams when it was not medically necessary.
Strauss was employed by OSU from 1978 to 1998 and died when he committed suicide in 2005.
Many plaintiffs said Strauss’ abuse was an “open secret” in the athletic department that was well-known by coaches. In 1996, OSU removed Strauss from his position and reported him to the State Medical Board of Ohio — but OSU did not report him to the police, or publicly disclose the allegations.
Source: Ohio State reaches additional settlements in Strauss cases