Columbus, OH — March 9, 2026 — The Ohio State University announced that President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. was resigning “[f]or personal reasons” after “disclos[ing] to the board of trustees that [he] made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.”
The university said it accepted Carter’s resignation and is implementing a leadership transition plan while it determines next steps.
Carter had served as Ohio State’s 17th president since January 2024, after previously serving as president of the University of Nebraska system and as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.
The resignation comes as litigation continues against Ohio State on behalf of former students who allege they were sexually abused by former university physician Dr. Richard Strauss. Strauss worked at Ohio State from 1978 to 1998 and died in 2005. Courts and independent investigators have found that numerous students reported misconduct by Strauss over many years while university personnel failed to intervene.
Attorneys representing survivors say the leadership change does not alter the central focus of the litigation.
“Our clients have spent years seeking transparency and accountability from Ohio State,” said Joe Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf, one of the firms representing survivors. “This resignation means the university will now be on its fourth president since these lawsuits were filed. Survivors of sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss remain focused on obtaining the accountability and justice they deserve.”
The lawsuits seek to hold Ohio State accountable for its alleged failure to prevent and respond to abuse by Strauss. Survivors and their counsel have argued that the litigation is necessary to obtain transparency and institutional accountability regarding what university officials knew and how complaints were handled.
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Ohio State’s former President Michael V. Drake, M.D. has previously acknowledged institutional failures in protecting students and has stated that it regrets the harm suffered by those abused by Strauss. The university has also said it has implemented reforms intended to strengthen reporting and oversight systems related to sexual misconduct.
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Sauder Schelkopf has been at the forefront of this litigation since 2018. It is alleged that the university officials had knowledge of Strauss’ misconduct dating back to 1979 and failed to take appropriate action. A 2019 independent investigation commissioned by OSU concluded that Strauss abused at least 177 male students between 1978 and 1998 and that complaints were never elevated beyond the athletic and student health departments. Sauder Schelkopf continues to represent a group of survivors seeking accountability and institutional reform.
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