Former Ohio State Doctor Abused 177 Students, Report Says

COLUMBUS, OH — Former Ohio State University doctor Richard Strauss abused at least 177 students during his 20-year tenure with the school, an independent investigation concluded on Friday.

Strauss worked at Ohio State from 1978 to 1998. He died in 2005.

The report said it found a disturbing pattern of abuse at the university. Investigators said university staff knew of complaints and concerns about Strauss in 1979, but failed to look into the accusations. It wasn't until 1996 that Ohio State University removed Strauss from his role as a physician in both the Department of Athletics and Student Health Services. He was reported to the State Medical Board of Ohio that same year.

However, the report found that university officials never reported Strauss to law enforcement. In fact, Strauss was allowed to voluntarily retire in 1998, with emeritus status.

"On behalf of the university, we offer our profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss’ abuse,” Ohio State President Michael Drake said in a statement on Friday. “Our institution’s fundamental failure at the time to prevent this abuse was unacceptable — as were the inadequate efforts to thoroughly investigate complaints raised by students and staff members."

A Pattern of Abuse

Complaints about Strauss were first reported to university officials in 1979, and they continued throughout his two decades at Ohio State. The first complaints stated that Strauss performed "unusually long" genital examinations of male athletes. The doctor would refuse to allow other staff into the room during these examinations, the report said.

Investigators for the report said that it was "broadly known" that Strauss would shower with the male students at Larkin Hall, an act that student-athletes complained about repeatedly.

Between 1979 and 1996, male student-athletes complained that Strauss performed seemingly excessive and prolonged genital examinations — regardless of the condition that prompted the visit.

The report said Strauss' continued abuse ranged from outright fondling of patients to requiring students to strip naked so he could "assess" an orthopedic condition. Strauss would also ask students questions about their sex life and performance during examinations, the report said.

Despite the consistency of the complaints, university officials only conducted cursory investigations into Strauss. In fact, in 1994, Ohio State University's then-director of sports medicine ran a self-described "investigation" and concluded the complaints against Strauss were just "unfounded rumors." No official report was filed and the issue never moved out of the athletics department.

Two months after that investigation ended, in early 1995, two male students separately came forward and reported that Strauss had conducted inappropriate genital examinations. Strauss denied the claims and the university took no substantive action against him, the report said.

A year later, in 1996, a third student came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct by Strauss. The student said the doctor had fondled his genitals during an examination. This prompted the university to take action against Strauss — suspending the doctor and placing him on administrative leave.

On June 5, 1996, the university's department of Student Affairs held a closed-door session with Strauss, Strauss' attorney, the vice president of student affairs and the associate general counsel for human resources. None of the students that had reported Strauss' misbehavior were allowed in the meeting, the report said.

Strauss was told his contract with Student Health Services would not be renewed and his contract with the athletics department was later terminated. However, Strauss was allowed to remain a tenured faculty member with the School of Public Health. The school later recommended Strauss receive emeritus status in 1998.

Investigators also found that in 1996, while still working at Ohio State University, Strauss opened a private, men's clinic off-campus. He hired Ohio State nursing students, advertised his clinic in the Lantern, the Ohio State student newspaper, and offered a discount to Ohio State students.

The report said Strauss' abuse of student-patients continued at the clinic.

Despite the numerous complaints against Strauss, and the action taken by university officials, the doctor was allowed to receive honorific emeritus status after his voluntary retirement in 1998.

The Ohio State University decided to launch an independent investigation into the claims against Strauss in April 2018, decades after the doctor's retirement. The full findings of that report have been shared online.

“The findings of the report have shaken us to our core,” Ohio State's Board of Trustees Chair Michael Gasser said. “The university is committed to supporting the safety and well-being of our entire community. The lessons of the past will continue to inform our efforts today and well into the future.”