Protesters advocate for Strauss victims outside The ‘Shoe before the Ohio State – Michigan game on Nov. 26, 2022. Credit: Christian Harsa | Lantern File Photo
Thirty former Ohio State football players will join the Dr. Richard Strauss sex abuse class action lawsuit filed against Ohio State.
The players, including team captains and NFL veterans, have signed engagement letters to join the suit, according to a press release from Michael DiSabato, the media contact for the plaintiffs.
Within the group are three prominent players of the 1980 Rose Bowl team: Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson, according to the release. They were recruited by former Head Coach Woody Hayes.
“Using our voices to pay forward in this situation is not easy, but we believe it is necessary to protect future athletes and to ensure accountability for what happened to us,” Washington said in the release. “We are committed to seeing this through—not only for ourselves, but for every survivor who has carried this burden in silence. We also feel a responsibility to defend the integrity of the program and Coach Hayes, who taught us about accountability, discipline, and doing what is right.”
All three were team captains and went on to play for teams like the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions, the release said.
From 1978-98, Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students, with university officials aware of the abuse as early as 1979, per prior Lantern reporting. He was an athletic team doctor for men’s sports and a physician at the Student Health Center.
As previously reported, Strauss retired in 1998 and later died by suicide in 2005. Since 2018, over 500 survivors have filed lawsuits against Ohio State for its lack of response to Strauss’ abuse.
In the release, Washington said he did not come forward due to the shame often associated with male-on-male sexual abuse and fear of retaliation from the university.
Washington said he was also concerned about the potential professional repercussions for his family. His son, Al Washington Jr., served as linebackers coach at Ohio State from 2019-21 and is currently the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Steve Snyder-Hill, a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in an email that he was proud of the survivors who are demonstrating the same courage as they did on the football field.
“Due to the duration of the coverup from OSU, this sex abuse scandal reaches far more than anyone can comprehend,” Snyder-Hill said. “OSU has decided to turn a blind eye to our cries for change. Maybe hearing it from their beloved football legends will perk up their ears.”
Kirk Dixon, who recently went public on the abuse he experienced from Strauss, said in an email that physical trauma and betrayal do not follow a calendar, survivors often delay reporting the abuse.
“They hide the shame, and they bury their experience in their personal vault,” Dixon said. “Most hide the secret well into adulthood and many check out along the way.”
So far, Ohio State has settled with 317 survivors, with 209 remaining, per prior Lantern reporting.
“Since 2018, Ohio State has sincerely and persistently tried to reconcile with survivors, including former football student-athletes, through monetary and non-monetary means, including settlements, counseling services and other medical treatment,” Ben Johnson, a university spokesperson, said in an email.
Johnson said the Perkins Coie report, an independent investigation in 2018 on Strauss and his abuse, discusses the football program.
“Strauss treated students who participated in a range of sports including hockey, cheerleading, volleyball, soccer, track, golf, baseball, tennis, water polo, and football,” the report states.
Back in December, Washington was among the roughly 20 outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, calling for the removal of Les Wexner’s name from the football program’s practice facility for his connection with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, per prior Lantern reporting.
The article was update on May 8 at 10:54 p.m. to add Steve Snyder-Hill and Kirk Dixon’s comments.
