Another University Assault Exposed
When you send your child off to college, you expect safety and care not a lifetime of trauma. Yet at Ohio State University, that sacred trust was shattered. Today’s survivors of Dr. Richard Strauss, OSU’s team physician from 1978 to 1998 are finally getting the attention, acknowledgment, and accountability they deserve.
What Survivors Are Saying
- Frederick Feeney, a former wrestling referee, recounts a horrifying incident: “Strauss pleasured himself… I’m feeling his hand on my butt… Jim Jordan looked at me straight in my face and said, ‘It’s Strauss. You know what he does.’”
- Mike DiSabato, the whistleblower, described unnecessary genital exams while a minor, he and fellow athletes suffered for years while coaches and staff ignored whispers of misconduct.
Hundreds more came forward, college athletes and students across sports accusing Strauss of abuse under the guise of medical exams and claiming university staff knew but did nothing. Just like Penn State and Jerry Sandusky, Michigan State and Larry Nassar. Today, Ohio State and Richard Strauss. And we know there are more.
Civil Lawsuits & Title IX Failures
- In 2020, OSU settled with 162 survivors for over $40.9 million.
- As of mid‑2023, approximately 236 survivors remain in litigation. In 2022, the Sixth Circuit reversed a dismissal based on statute of limitations, allowing those claims to move forward.
- In January 2022, diver Eszter Pryor filed a Title IX suit, alleging OSU was “deliberately indifferent” to sexual abuse by coach William Bohonyi. The Sixth Circuit confirmed a 2-year personal injury statute governs Title IX claims in Ohio Pryor’s filing came too late.
The Supreme Court refused OSU’s attempt to dismiss Strauss claims in June 2023, affirming that time and delay won’t protect institutions from accountability.
HBO Documentary: Surviving Ohio State
The power of stories matters. Now available on HBO Max, Surviving Ohio State features raw survivor testimony from athletes to staff describing decades of abuse and institutional cover-ups. It highlights key figures like U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and coach Russ Hellickson, who survivors say “knew what was going on” and did nothing.
Title IX: Institutions’ Equal Protection Promise
Title IX isn’t just about sports it’s goal is to provide reporting requirements and resolutions in all federally funded education settings. When systems intentionally fail those who are harmed so egregiously, it compounds the betrayal they feel. OSU’s actions or inaction represent textbook “deliberate indifference”:
- OSU allegedly ignored early complaints (as far back as 1979).
- It failed to follow up or notify law enforcement.
- Survivors had no effective path to protection or resources for support.
The Title IX lawsuit from Pryor is a sobering reminder: even when individuals speak up, institutions often fail them leaving survivors bearing lifelong consequences. The trauma then became complex due to the various layers of harm. When institutions put money and reputation before real people who have been violated in horrific ways, they must be exposed.
This is what I have spent my career doing, speaking out against this type of betrayal and ensuring survivors’ stories are told.
Why This Stories Matters
- Survivor Validation: These stories shatter the myth that male athletes can’t be victims.
- Institutional Accountability: Universities can’t trade reputation for silence.
- Legal Precedent: Courts are affirming legal pathways whether under civil claims or Title IX time limits included.
- Cultural Reckoning: With the HBO film, national attention is turning OSU’s scandal into a turning point for collegiate policy.
You Need a Trauma-Informed Legal Fighter
If you or someone you know has been harmed at OSU or by similar institutional failures it’s not just about filing a complaint. It’s about finding attorneys who combine legal strength, deep empathy, and strategic tenacity.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we understand trauma, Title IX, and how to push survivors toward both acknowledgment and justice.
Institutions are being forced to change, one lawsuit and documentary at a time. If you’ve been impacted, or seen the impacts of this case, reach out. We’re ready to stand with you.
