Ohio State University wrestler during a match
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Wrestling Referee Says He Told GOP Lawmaker About Doctor’s Sexual Misconduct
Investigation Shows Ohio State Sports Doc Sexually Abused Over 177 Students
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| (image via OHU) |
A year long investigation has concluded that Dr. Richard H. Strauss, who worked as a team doctor for Ohio State University, sexually abused at least 177 varsity male athletes from at least 16 sports over a nearly twenty year period.
According to a 182-page report issued Friday, Strauss would require the young athletes to strip, would grope them and make inquires of intimate/sexual nature all under the guise of providing medical treatment or examination.
“From roughly 1979 to 1996, male students complained that Strauss routinely performed excessive — and seemingly medically unnecessary — genital exams, regardless of the medical condition the student-patients presented,” read one excerpt from the report via the New York Times.
Over 520 subjects took part in nearly 600 interviews throughout the investigation.
The investigators wrote, “Strauss’ acts of abuse ranged from the overt — such as fondling to the point of erection and ejaculation — to more subtle acts of abuse that were masked with a pretextual medical purpose — for example, requiring a student-patient to strip completely naked to purportedly ‘assess’ an orthopedic condition, or asking probing questions about a student-patient’s sexual practices or performance.”
One of the athletes who spoke to investigators said he once complained of a sore throat to Strauss, which lead to a genital exam.
One former wrestler, Nick Nutter, came forward last year saying the doctor groped him “19 exams out of 20.”
In addition, several former students shared that Strauss was known to shower with students, and hang out in the locker room.
The investigators found that many of the students were under the impression the physician’s behavior was an “open secret” and that coaches, trainers, even other team doctors knew of the sexual improprieties.
Indeed, the report shows that several coaches and players reported incidents involving Strauss over the years, but the complaints never saw Strauss held accountable.
There were so many complaints that an investigation was launched in 1994 by the university’s director of sports medicine, Dr. John Lombardo. He eventually dismissed the allegations calling them “unfounded rumors.”
Lombardo refused to sit for an interview with the investigators.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), now a powerful conservative congressman, was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1987 to 1995. He has maintained he never heard any of the rumors regarding Strauss, even though the investigation by Dr. Lombardo occurred during Jordan’s tenure as an assistant coach.
Jordan told the Washington Post he feels vindicated by the newly-released report saying it found no evidence he knew about the sexual abuses.
Actually, the report doesn’t mention him by name at all.
“I think the report speaks for itself,” said Jordan. “It confirmed everything I have said all along.”
But several former Ohio State wrestlers came forward over the past year insisting the rumors were so widespread Jordan must have heard or knew something about the inappropriate behavior.
In truth, what would a seasoned politician say about such rumors today? Can you imagine Jordan standing up and admitting all these years later, “Yes, I heard about those incidents back in the day, but I chose to do nothing?”
Twenty-two coaches interviewed by investigators said they were aware of rumors or complaints regarding Strauss, reports the Washington Post.
Upon the release of today’s report, Ohio State President Michael Drake issued a statement calling the findings “shocking and painful to comprehend.”
“On behalf of the university, we offer our profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss’s abuse,” Drake continued. “Our institution’s fundamental failure at the time to prevent this abuse was unacceptable — as were the inadequate efforts to thoroughly investigate complaints raised by students and staff members.”
Three groups of victims have filed law suits against the university, and Ohio State is said to be “actively participating in a mediation process.”
While Strauss was still a professor emeritus at the time of his death in 2005, Ohio State told the press today it would begin proceedings to revoke that honor.
News Round-Up: July 10, 2018
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| Calum Von Moger |
Some news items you might have missed:
• This selfie by InstaHunk Calum Von Moger (above) just about laid me out. #Woofylicious
• The Supreme Court of India is considering decriminalizing gay sex.
• A Kansas City radio station is throwing anti-LBGTQ Vice President Mike Pence a “sausage fest” as he visits their city. LOL…
• An 8th former Ohio State University wrestler has come forward saying Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan knew about the team doctor’s sexual abuse. The latest accuser says Jordan ‘snickered’ when he told him the physician “held my balls longer than normal.”
• The mother of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter was told by mental health counselors he shouldn’t have access to guns. She ignored them saying “If he wants to have a gun, he could have a gun.”
• Thailand’s lawmakers are putting the finishing touches to their civil partnerships bill.
• The Human Rights Campaign vigorously opposes Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh:
“This nominee was hand-picked by anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice groups in an explicit effort to undermine equality — and the prospect of a Justice Kavanaugh threatens to erode our nation’s civil rights laws, block transgender troops from bravely serving this nation and allow a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people in every aspect of American life.”
Podcast: Pop-Star and Pro-Soccer Player Come Out, Plus How Trump’s SCOTUS Pick Could Affect Marriage Equality
In this week’s podcast:
• The governor of Maine becomes the first in the nation to veto an ‘ex-gay therapy’ ban
• An Ohio congressman is accused of turning a blind-eye to sex abuse
• Starbucks expands healthcare for transgender employees
• New Jersey adopts new trans rights
• Ohio lawmakers want teachers to snitch on trans students
• How Trump’s new Supreme Court could affect marriage equality
• Pro soccer player Collin Martin comes out
• And Panic! At the Disco’s‘ Brendon Urie comes out
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.
UPDATED: 7th Former Wrestler Accuses Congressman Of Turning Blind Eye To College Sex Abuse
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| Rep. Jim Jordan |
UPDATE: A 7th former wrestler has come forward saying Rep. Jim Jordan knew about the allegations of sex abuse.
From The Washington Post:
David Range, who wrestled for Ohio State in the late 1980s, said Jordan had to have known about alleged sexual misconduct by Richard Strauss, an athletic doctor whose behavior is under investigation by the school, because it happened regularly to team members and people talked about it. Jordan has denied he knew, saw or heard about any inappropriate behavior while he was an assistant wrestling coach from 1987 to 1995.
“Jordan definitely knew that these things were happening — yes, most definitely,” Range told The Washington Post. “It was there. He knew about it because it was an everyday occurrence.”
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Two former college wrestlers have accused Rep. Jim Jordan (R) of knowing about alleged sexual abuse of wrestlers at Ohio State University three decades ago and failing to act.
From The Washington Post:
Jordan (R-Ohio) responded after two former Ohio State wrestlers told NBC News on the record that he must have known about abuse allegations against Richard Strauss, a former doctor in Ohio State’s athletics department. Jordan served as assistant wrestling coach at the university from 1987 to 1995.
“Congressman Jordan never saw any abuse, never heard about any abuse, and never had any abuse reported to him during his time as a coach at Ohio State,” Ian Fury, a spokesman for Jordan, said in a statement. “He has not been contacted by investigators about the matter but will assist them in any way they ask, because if what is alleged is true, the victims deserve a full investigation and justice.”
Former Ohio State wrestler Mike DiSabato told NBC News that Jordan is a “liar” for saying he did not know about the alleged abuse.
“He knew,” DiSabato said in a brief phone interview with The Post. “That’s not a question. Why he had a spokesman put out misinformation is frankly beyond comprehension, because is he the target of this? No. It was common knowledge and he knew.”
DiSabato said he was first abused by Strauss at 14 as a high school wrestler. He said he believes Strauss abused 1,000-2,000 young athletes.
“He was Larry Nassar before Larry Nassar,” DiSabato said, referring to the disgraced former sports physician who was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing girls and young women.
This is a major scandal.Jim Jordan is a major player in the House GOP caucus
He now stands accused of ignored systemic sexual abuse at Ohio State, where he used to be a wrestling coach https://t.co/EvxcIWIJwq
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 3, 2018
Incredible. This guy @Jim_Jordan has spent the last year dragging FBI officials into House hearings and screaming at them for not giving Congress enough information…and now he’s accused of not reporting a child molester to school administrators. https://t.co/RpYWbyBMbu— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) July 3, 2018
@Jim_Jordan
No wonder you supported Roy Moore & Donald Trump.#pervsofafeather#JimJordanResign #TrailerTrashWhiteHouse— LiberalsAreSmarter (@SmartLiberal) July 3, 2018
Ohio Congressman Denies Turning Blind-Eye To Sex Abuse
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| Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio |
Rep. Jim Jordan, a powerful Republican congressman from Ohio, has been accused of turning a blind-eye to sex abuse during his tenure as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University.
In April, the university began an investigation into allegations that Dr. Richard Strauss, who served as the team doctor, sexually abused team members from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s.
Strauss died in 2005.
Jordan, who served as assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1986 to 1994, has publicly denied any knowledge of the abuse.
But his denials have been called out as lying by former members of the wrestling team.
Three former Ohio State wrestlers have come forward saying it was “common knowledge” that the doctor regularly showered with the athletes and touched them inappropriately during appointments. They say its impossible Jordan would not have known about the abuse. One player says he told Jordan about the abuse himself.
From NBC News:
Former head coach Russ Hellickson, Jordan’s mentor, said in a recent video — made by Mike DiSabato, a former wrestler — that Hellickson had told Strauss that he was being too “hands on” with students.
DiSabato, whose allegations against Strauss prompted Ohio State to open its investigation, called Jordan a “liar.”
“I considered Jim Jordan a friend,” DiSabato said. “But at the end of the day, he is absolutely lying if he says he doesn’t know what was going on.”
DiSabato said he reached out to Jordan this year, before going to the university, to tell Jordan that he planned to go public with his allegations. Jordan told him to “please leave me out of it,” DiSabato said. “He asked me not to get him involved.”
Another former wrestler, Dunyasha Yetts, told NBC News he informed Jordan himself about an awkward incident with the doctor in the mid-1990s.
“I remember I had a thumb injury and went into Strauss’ office and he started pulling down my wrestling shorts,” he said. “I’m like, what the f— are you doing? And I went out and told Russ and Jim what happened. I was not having it. They went in and talked to Strauss.”
According to Yetts, he and his teammates went to Jordan several times about Strauss.
“So it’s sad for me to hear that he’s denying knowing about Strauss,” he said. “I don’t know why he would, unless it’s a cover-up. Either you’re in on it, or you’re a liar.”
“Congressman Jordan never saw any abuse, never heard about any abuse, and never had any abuse reported to him during his time as a coach at Ohio State,” a spokesman for Jordan wrote in an email to NBC News.
After the NBC News story was published, Jordan’s rep added: “He has not been contacted by investigators about the matter but will assist them in any way they ask, because if what is alleged is true, the victims deserve a full investigation and justice.”
Another Ohio State wrestler, former UFC world champion Mark Coleman, has come forward telling the Wall Street Journal Jordan was aware of, but didn’t respond to, the allegations of sexual misconduct.
“There’s no way unless he’s got dementia or something that he’s got no recollection of what was going on at Ohio State,” Coleman said in an interview Friday.
DiSabato, however, has forwarded to NBC News an email he sent Jordan on April 24 asking Jordan to “give your full attention to the information attached to this email.”
“We [are] watching you, “ wrote DiSabato. “You have the platform to cut through the double talk, placation and finger pointing.”
Jordan never responded.
Based on testimony from athletes in 15 varsity sports over the years, DiSabato estimates Strauss sexually assaulted and/or raped around 1,500/2,000 athletes at OSU from 1978 through 1998.
Jordan is a staunch ally of Donald Trump and is rumored to be a contender for Speaker of the House after Paul Ryan retires early next year.
Regarding the Ohio State scandal, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, “I believe him 100 percent.”