Thirty former Ohio State University football players, including ex-team captains and NFL veterans, have come forward to join legal efforts against the university over sexual abuse by former OSU doctor Richard Strauss.
The former players, who each said they were a survivor of abuse by Strauss, have committed to joining the class action lawsuit, according to attorney Rocky Ratliff.
The new group of plaintiffs includes three members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team: Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson, all of whom played for coach Woody Hayes and went on to play some time in the NFL. Other OSU athletes have come forward before but these new, high-profile plaintiffs could bring increased visibility to survivors.
Ellis, a native of Canton, was a team captain and played defensive back for 7 years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. Ferguson was a team captain for the Buckeyes and played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.
Washington’s 345 career tackles at Ohio State are 8th on the all-time list, just behind James Laurinaitis, the Buckeyes’ current linebackers coach who is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year. Washington's son, Al Washington Jr., was the Buckeyes linebacker coach from 2019 to 2021 and is currently the linebacker coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Washington said in a media release that he did not initially come forward due to the shame associated with male-on-male sexual abuse and the fear of retaliation from the university.
As of April 15, the university has settled with 317 survivors, including former football student-athletes, for more than $61 million. The school remains actively engaged in mediation with other survivors.
Dr. Strauss worked at the university from 1978 to 1998 in the athletics department and student health center. During those two decades, he abused at least 177 male student patients, according to an independent investigation released by the university in 2019.
Investigators found university officials began receiving complaints and had knowledge of his misconduct as early as 1979, months after he arrived on campus. Survivors reported that Strauss fondled patients’ genitals and conducted genital or rectal exams even when they were unnecessary.
Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
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The former players, who each said they were a survivor of abuse by Strauss, have committed to joining the class action lawsuit, according to attorney Rocky Ratliff.
The new group of plaintiffs includes three members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team: Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson, all of whom played for coach Woody Hayes and went on to play some time in the NFL. Other OSU athletes have come forward before but these new, high-profile plaintiffs could bring increased visibility to survivors.
Ellis, a native of Canton, was a team captain and played defensive back for 7 years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. Ferguson was a team captain for the Buckeyes and played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.
Washington’s 345 career tackles at Ohio State are 8th on the all-time list, just behind James Laurinaitis, the Buckeyes’ current linebackers coach who is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year. Washington's son, Al Washington Jr., was the Buckeyes linebacker coach from 2019 to 2021 and is currently the linebacker coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Washington said in a media release that he did not initially come forward due to the shame associated with male-on-male sexual abuse and the fear of retaliation from the university.
As of April 15, the university has settled with 317 survivors, including former football student-athletes, for more than $61 million. The school remains actively engaged in mediation with other survivors.
Dr. Strauss worked at the university from 1978 to 1998 in the athletics department and student health center. During those two decades, he abused at least 177 male student patients, according to an independent investigation released by the university in 2019.
Investigators found university officials began receiving complaints and had knowledge of his misconduct as early as 1979, months after he arrived on campus. Survivors reported that Strauss fondled patients’ genitals and conducted genital or rectal exams even when they were unnecessary.
Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
30 former Ohio State football players join Strauss abuse lawsuit
Thirty former Ohio State football players, including ex-captains and NFL vets, join a class-action over sexual abuse by ex-OSU doctor Richard Strauss.
