300-plus men accuse Ohio State doctor of abuse in one of 'biggest sexual misconduct cases' in U.S.

More than 300 former students are suing or plan to sue Ohio State University for allegedly failing to stop decades of sex abuse by one of its doctors.

The first allegations against Richard Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, came to light last year when dozens of former athletes shared their stories. Since then, the list of accusers continues to grow, and more than half of the 300-plus men are already listed as plaintiffs in federal lawsuits.

The men claim the doctor fondled them during medical exams, groped them, showered among young athletes multiple times a day to watch them naked, and harassed students to go home with him.

The alleged incidents happened from 1979 to 1997, spanning most of Strauss' career with the university. A 2018 complaint estimates he may have "sexually assaulted, abused, battered, molested, and/or harassed 1,500 to 2,500 male student athletes."

"This is, from our perspective, aside from the Catholic church, one of the biggest sexual misconduct cases in the country," attorney Michael Wright, whose legal team represents more than 100 Ohio State alumni, told The Associated Press on Friday.

The scandal has drawn comparisons to the Michigan State University case involving convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar, who was accused by hundreds of women and girls. The initial round of plaintiffs against Nassar, who worked as a sports physician at Michigan State, resulted in a $425 million settlement from the university.

The lawsuits against Strauss are also heading toward a settlement, though lawyers have not discussed the details of the discussions.

Ohio State has apologized to the victims and acknowledged its "fundamental failure" to stop the abuse.

The former students accuse the university of turning a blind eye even when they complained to other school officials.

One of the people who have been implicated in the scandal is Rep. Jim Jordan, who worked as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1987 to 1995. The Republican has denied having any knowledge of Strauss' alleged abuse.

With News Wire Services

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