Sauder Schelkopf has been at the forefront of fighting for the survivors of sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss since the first allegations were made public in April of 2018. Sauder Schelkopf filed a class action lawsuit in July 2018 against Ohio State University (OSU) on behalf of former students and student-athletes who were sexually abused by Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked for OSU from the mid-1970s to the 1990s. Strauss died in 2005; however, Ohio State University officials are reporting more than 1500 separate instances where former team doctor Richard Strauss sexually abused students.
Read the OSU 2019 Crime Report here (see page 60)
An independent report found that “Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male student-patients he was charged with treating as a University physician – many in his capacity as a physician with the University Athletics Department; some in his capacity as a physician in OSU’s Student Health Center; and others in connection with his other pursuits, including purported ‘medical studies.'” The report further found that “University personnel had knowledge of Strauss’ sexual abusive treatment of male student-patients as early as 1979, but that complaints and reports about Strauss’ conduct were not elevated beyond the Athletics Department or Student Health until 1996.” A working group established by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine found that the state medical board investigated allegations of sexual misconduct against Strauss in 1996. The board found credible evidence of sexual misconduct by Strauss and revealed that Strauss had been “performing inappropriate genital exams on male students for years,” but no one with knowledge of the case worked to remove his medical license or notify law enforcement, DeWine announced at a press conference on August 30, 2019.
Contact us confidentially to join the lawsuit anonymously, seek compensation and demand change.
Read the complaint here.
The Report of the Independent Investigation can be read here.
Governor’s Working Group Report can be read here
NBC News 11.27.19
A Message from President Drake: Strauss Investigation Report
Related News:
Culture of Cover-up: Strauss victim comes forward; settlement details revealed
Why Aren’t More People Talking About the Ohio State Sex Abuse Scandal?
New lawsuit in Ohio State sex abuse scandal brings number of victims to nearly 350
Ohio State hit with two lawsuits over sexual abuse allegations made against team doctor
Former wrestlers sue Ohio State University, saying school ignored abuse by Dr. Strauss
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has significant experience fighting for victims of sexual misconduct. Our former prosecutors have extensive litigation experience and currently represent victims of sexual abuse throughout the country, including clergy sexual abuse. The Legal Intelligencer named Joe Sauder in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list highlighting his innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups. We have numerous class action lawsuits pending throughout the country on behalf of victims of sexual misconduct including:
- We have been court-appointed as Interim Co-Class Counsel to represent former students of the University of Michigan who were victims of sexual misconduct by Dr. Robert E. Anderson, former director of University Health Service, and a former athletic team physician, who worked at the University of Michigan from 1968 until his retirement in 2003.
- Sauder Schelkopf, and co-counsel, recently reached a $215 million settlement on behalf of female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the University of Southern California accused of sexual misconduct since the 1990s.
- We have represented survivors of clergy sexual abuse in dioceses throughout the country.
We Want to Hear from You
If you were the victim of sexual misconduct, contact the attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf for updates on the case and/or a free confidential consultation by filling out the form on this page.