Sauder Schelkopf has been at the forefront of the Ohio State University sexual-abuse litigation since its inception in 2018. Earlier this month, Sauder Schelkopf and co-counsel filed a motion seeking permission to serve a deposition subpoena on Mr. Wexner through alternative means, after traditional service efforts were unsuccessful. The motion outlines multiple attempts by private process servers and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to deliver the subpoena, as well as communications with an attorney previously identified as representing Mr. Wexner.
Wexner served on the Ohio State Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1997 and chaired the board from 1996 to 1997. Richard Strauss was employed by Ohio State from 1978 to 1998 as a physician treating students, including student-athletes. Following the $6.2 million independent Perkins Coie investigation commissioned by Ohio State, then-president Michael V. Drake, MD stated in part, “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.”
Read the Perkins Coie Strauss Report here
In September 2021,U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson himself stated in his dismissal opinion (later reversed by the 6th Cir. Court of Appeals):
“It is beyond dispute that Plaintiffs, as well as hundreds of other former students, suffered unspeakable sexual abuse by Strauss. It is also true that many Plaintiffs and other students complained of Strauss’s abuse over the years and yet medical doctors, athletic directors, head and assistant coaches, athletic trainers, and program directors failed to protect these victims from Strauss’s predation. For decades, many at Ohio State tasked with protecting and training students and young athletes instead turned a blind eye to Strauss’s exploitation. From 1979 to 2018, Ohio State utterly failed these victims.“
Nevertheless, on December 10, 2025, Ohio State opposed “plaintiffs’ motion on its own behalf as a defendant in the cases in which the subpoenas to Mr. Wexner were issued . . . .” Ohio State contends that plaintiffs have not shown that Mr. Wexner possesses information relevant to the claims.
“Our clients have demonstrated tremendous courage. We are committed to making sure their voices are heard and the truth comes to light,” said Joe Sauder, one of the attorney representing the survivors.
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The underlying litigation centers on former students’ allegations that Ohio State failed to protect them from sexual abuse by Strauss from 1979 through 1998. Multiple lawsuits remain active, and Sauder Schelkopf continues to represent a group of survivors seeking accountability and institutional reform.
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