For nearly two decades, Dr. Richard Strauss abused students he was trusted to treat at Ohio State University. Many survivors carried that alone for years. When they came forward, they forced the university to answer for what happened.
We helped build the first landmark settlement for survivors of Dr. Richard Strauss’s abuse at Ohio State University.
What happened at Ohio State
Strauss worked as a university physician from 1978 to 1998, including as a team physician in the Athletics Department and in Student Health. In May 2019, an independent investigation commissioned by the university found that he sexually abused at least 177 male student-patients. It also found that university personnel knew of concerns as early as 1979, but complaints were not raised beyond Athletics or Student Health until 1996. Strauss died in 2005.
What we did
Jeckering & Associates, LLC helped negotiate the settlement terms of the first master settlement agreement in the Ohio State / Strauss cases. That agreement was reached in March 2020 and announced in May 2020. Under the agreement, each survivor’s claim was reviewed individually by an independent special master experienced in evaluating sexual trauma claims.
We do not share details about the people we represented. Their stories belong to them.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse
Maybe you have talked about this before. Maybe you have never told anyone. Either way, you can call us, and you decide what happens next.
What you can do now:
- Write down what you remember. When it happened, where, and who was involved.
- Keep what you have. Medical records, team or roster information, letters and emails, including anything the university sent about its investigation.
- Ask before you assume. Whether a claim is still possible depends on your facts and your dates. We will not guess at a deadline online. A lawyer needs to review them.
- Think about privacy. Lawsuits involve public filings. Courts sometimes allow protective measures, and we explain the options before you decide, but we cannot promise privacy.
A first conversation is private and does not commit you to anything. You do not need to share every detail. We will ask a few questions about timing and who was involved, and tell you what we would need to review.
For more about how we represent survivors, see our page on sexual abuse claims in Ohio.
When you are ready
Call 614-944-5151, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, or Tell us what happened in a short note and a lawyer will review it.
Jeckering & Associates, LLC · Columbus office: 10 N High St, Suite 301, Columbus, OH 43215 · 614-944-5151 · Mechanicsburg office: 16 S Main St, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 · 937-896-2222
This page provides general information, not legal advice about your matter. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.