Ohio State agrees to $100 million settlement with Strauss survivors
Ohio State University agreed June 3 to pay $100 million to 279 former students who said they were sexually abused by team doctor Richard Strauss, the university and plaintiffs' lawyers announced in Columbus, Ohio.
The settlement covers 279 of the 280 remaining survivors involved in pending federal litigation, according to WOSU Public Media. The university's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ratify the agreements at its June 3 meeting, a step toward ending an eight-year legal battle in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio over allegations that the university knew Strauss was abusing students but failed to stop him, NBC News reported.
"The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes," Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda said at the board meeting, according to NBC News. He said the university remains "very grateful to them for their courage in coming forward."
One former student who was part of the five active federal lawsuits did not sign on to the agreement, NBC News reported. The joint statement did not name the holdout.
Terms of the settlement
The parties "have reached settlements in principle in a total amount of $100 million," the university and plaintiffs said in a joint statement, according to WOSU, adding that "all parties thank the mediators for their assistance."
The statement said mediation and its confidentiality are continuing as the parties finalize details. The board resolution authorizes the university's general counsel and the Ohio attorney general's office to execute the agreement with the plaintiffs, WOSU reported. Readers can find background on the office's recent leadership in this profile of Ohio's outgoing attorney general, Dave Yost.
In the coming weeks, a court-appointed special master is expected to interview each of the men in the litigation to assess the harm they suffered and determine individual shares of the settlement fund, according to NBC News and a case summary published by Sokolove Law.
Years of prior payouts
Before the June 3 agreement, Ohio State had settled Strauss claims with 317 other survivors for more than $61 million, NBC News reported. With the new settlement, the university's total payments to Strauss survivors would exceed $161 million, according to Sokolove Law, which described it as among the largest university sexual abuse settlement totals in U.S. history.
The earlier settlements stretch back to March 2020, when the university agreed to pay $40.9 million to 162 survivors, according to Sokolove Law. Smaller agreements followed in 2021, 2022 and earlier in 2026. How institutional settlements are divided among large plaintiff groups often surprises claimants; this explainer on how personal injury settlements are actually calculated outlines the deductions and allocation process in civil cases.
The Strauss investigation
Strauss worked as a physician at Ohio State from 1978 until his retirement in 1998, serving as a team doctor in the athletic department, according to Sokolove Law. He died by suicide in 2005.
The litigation began in 2018, when former wrestler Mike DiSabato came forward with allegations that Strauss had sexually abused him and hundreds of other male athletes under the guise of physical exams, NBC News reported. The university then hired the law firm Perkins Coie to conduct an independent investigation, which concluded in May 2019 that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male athletes and other students and that coaches and administrators knew about the abuse for two decades but failed to stop him, according to NBC News. Student athletes weighing their own claims against universities can review this guide to the legal rights of injured college athletes.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1986 to 1994, was among the former coaches whom DiSabato and other wrestlers accused of failing to act, NBC News reported. Jordan has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the abuse. NBC News reported that deposition transcripts released last month showed former athletic director Andy Geiger testified that Jordan "probably knew" Strauss was abusing wrestlers; Jordan issued another denial, and his own deposition in the newly settled cases remains under seal.
What happens next
The special master's interviews will determine how the $100 million is allocated among the 279 plaintiffs, according to NBC News and Sokolove Law. Reports differ slightly on the prior settlement totals: NBC News reported more than $61 million paid to 317 earlier claimants, while WOSU reported more than $60 million paid to more than 300.
Survivors who had pressured the university in recent weeks included former Columbus Division of Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ, other first responders and former Ohio State and NFL football players, WOSU reported. The June 3 meeting was also board chair John Zeiger's last; the board appointed Jeff Kaplan as its next chair, according to WOSU.
Since 2019, the university has covered certified counseling and treatment costs for survivors and their families through Praesidium, an independent third-party provider, according to Sokolove Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will Ohio State pay Strauss survivors in total?
The June 2026 agreement adds $100 million for 279 survivors to more than $61 million previously paid to 317 others. That brings Ohio State's total Strauss-related payouts to more than $161 million across multiple settlements since 2020.
How will individual settlement amounts be decided?
A court-appointed special master is expected to interview each plaintiff to assess the nature and extent of the harm suffered. Those findings will determine each survivor's share of the $100 million fund.
Who was Richard Strauss?
Strauss was an Ohio State physician and athletic team doctor from 1978 to 1998. A 2019 independent investigation by Perkins Coie found he sexually abused at least 177 male students and that university personnel knew for two decades. He died by suicide in 2005.
Does the settlement end all Strauss litigation?
It resolves claims by 279 of the 280 remaining plaintiffs in five federal lawsuits; one individual did not sign on. Mediation is continuing as the parties finalize details, and the agreements still must be fully executed.
Sources
- WOSU Public Media — Ohio State says nearly all remaining Strauss survivors have agreed to $100 million settlement
- NBC News — Ohio State University reaches $100 million settlement in sex abuse lawsuits
- Ideastream Public Media — Ohio State says nearly all remaining Strauss survivors have agreed to $100 million settlement
- Sokolove Law — $100 Million Ohio State Sexual Abuse Settlement for Dr. Strauss Survivors
Reporting compiled from court records and the cited source outlets.