Timeline: State Medical Board of Ohio and doctor sexual abuse
Feb. 27, 1896
State Medical Board of Ohio created with the adoption of the Ohio Medical Practice Act.
1960s
The medical board averaged five disciplinary actions per year. (In fiscal year 2022, the board took disciplinary action on 389 cases.)
1973
The medical board may have received its first complaint regarding Dr. Ray Carroll, a physician in Circleville, according to a letter written by a patient's attorney that The Columbus Dispatch obtained.
1979
Ohio State University personnel began receiving reports of sexual misconduct by Dr. Richard Strauss. The complaints continued consistently until his retirement in 1998.
Dec. 8, 1993
Carroll is cited by the medical board for allegations of inappropriate touching and making inappropriate remarks to 17 patients. An attorney would later tell victims — who spoke to The Dispatch — that there may have been as many as 150 patients abused.
April 13, 1994
The medical board permanently revokes Carroll’s license
July 1996
Medical Board opens investigation into Strauss, based on information uncovered in a separate investigation.
January 2002
The medical board closed the investigation into Strauss without disciplinary action. Records did not indicate the rationale.
Nov. 30, 2006
New state rules that clearly identify sexual misconduct as grounds for board discipline go into effect.
April 5, 2018
Ohio State announces it is investigating claims of sexual misconduct involving Strauss, citing allegations that had recently been brought forward.
May 17, 2019
An investigative report released by Ohio State says Strauss sexually abused at least 177 students throughout his 20-year tenure as an athletics and student health physician, and university officials knew about the misconduct yet repeatedly failed to act.
Aug. 30, 2019
After a working group appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine concludes that the state medical board found credible evidence of abuse by Strauss in the 1990s but did not act, DeWine calls on the medical board to examine every sexual assault claim that closed without action taken for the last 25 years — more than 1,200 cases.
Feb. 23, 2022
After its review of past closed sexual abuse cases and reopening 91 cases, the medical board ultimately decided to take no further action on the majority of the reopened complaints, citing deceased parties, lack of cooperation by survivors, lack of legal viability and other reasons.
April 12, 2022
Ohio Sen. Bob D. Hackett introduces Senate Bill 322, which state officials hoped will provide more transparency to the public and empower the board to take quicker action against doctors who are accused of sexual misconduct.
Dec. 31, 2022
Senate Bill 322 had not moved out of committee by the conclusion of the 134th General Assembly, effectively killing the bill for now.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: State Medical Board of Ohio and doctor sexual abuse through the years
