State medical board reopens 91 sex assault cases in wake of OSU abuse scandal

Jen Balduf, Springfield News-Sun, Ohio
·2 min read

Mar. 11—The Ohio Medical Board announced on Wednesday evening that it has reopened 91 sexual assault allegations against physicians and other licensed medical staff that were closed without any action taken.

Gov. Mike DeWine called on the board to conduct a thorough review of cases over the past 25 years in the wake of the Ohio State University abuse scandal that centered on allegations of sexual abuse while Dr. Richard Strauss was a physician in the university's athletics department.

Strauss, who worked at Ohio State in the athletic department or student health center from 1978 to the mid-1990s, died by suicide in California in 2005. An independent investigation launched by OSU reported that at least 177 male students had been abused by Strauss and that administrators knew about the misconduct but did not report it to law enforcement.

The working group that reviewed the medical board's handling of the Strauss investigation on Wednesday delivered its 173-page closing report to DeWine. In it, it says the medical board identified 1,254 closed sexual impropriety cases and is now reexamining 91 cases as active sexual impropriety investigations, according to a release.

"I appreciate the working group and the medical board's efforts to thoroughly review these cases and reexamine cases those that should not have been closed," DeWine stated.

The governor also asked the working group to identify any Ohio medical license holders who knew or suspected Strauss of criminal misconduct but did not report it. The board staff recommended that an additional 42 cases be reopened for failure to report, including an investigation against Dr. Ted Grace, former director of Ohio State's student health services, for a failure to report Strauss in the 1990s. Grace was the only medical license holder named in the report.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, worked as an assistant wrestling coach while Strauss was employed in the OSU athletics department. Jordan has denied knowledge of any sexual abuse.

Ohio State has settled a lawsuit filed by sex abuse victims, agreeing to pay $40,9 million.