The Ohio State University agreed Wednesday to pay $100 million to 279 former students who alleged they were sexually abused by Dr. Richard Strauss, a campus physician who worked at the university for two decades.
The settlement was signed by all but one of the 280 people in the case, according to the university. A court-appointed special master will interview each plaintiff to determine the level of harm and how much settlement money they will receive. If divided equally among 279 people, each plaintiff would receive approximately $358,423 before attorneys’ fees are deducted.
The former students alleged Strauss sexually abused them during his tenure at Ohio State from 1978 to 1998, when he worked at the campus health center and the athletic department. Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
A 2019 report commissioned by the university found that several Ohio State staff were aware of complaints about Strauss as early as 1979 but did not intervene to stop the abuse.
University President Ravi Bellamkonda addressed the plaintiffs during a board meeting Wednesday.
“The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes, will always be part of our family and our community, and I firmly believe that,” Bellamkonda said. “We continue to be very grateful to them for their courage in coming forward, and reaching a final resolution is very important to us and is an important step forward.”
After the Board of Trustees approved the settlement, the university and plaintiffs issued a joint statement.
“The university’s Board of Trustees has now publicly ratified these agreements in principle, and all parties thank the mediators for their assistance,” the statement said. “The mediation and its confidentiality are continuing as the parties work to finalize the details of the settlements, and additional information will be shared as appropriate.”
Board Chair John Zeiger said details about individual cases are not being released while mediation efforts remain under a federal court order.
“It is important that we respect the court’s order and comply with the mediator’s directive to keep confidentiality in place for now, but we will provide additional information on this resolution when we are in a position to do so,” Zeiger said.
The latest settlement follows two prior agreements. The university settled with 317 survivors for $61 million in February 2026, and with 162 students for $40 million in 2020. Combined, the university has now settled with 758 claimants for approximately $201 million.
The allegations first became public in 2018 when former Ohio State wrestler Mike DiSabato said Strauss sexually abused him and hundreds of other male athletes. DiSabato and other wrestlers also accused former Ohio State assistant wrestling coach Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, of having done nothing to stop the abuse. Jordan, who was an assistant coach from 1986 to 1994, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the allegations.