HBO doc spotlights Ohio State sex abuse scandal
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The hall to a medical exam room, as depicted in "Surviving Ohio State." Photo: Courtesy of HBO
A new documentary about Ohio State University's sexual abuse scandal debuts Tuesday on HBO Max, exploring how former campus physician Richard Strauss abused hundreds of male athletes over two decades.
Why it matters: Lawsuits from some survivors are still pending. The George Clooney-produced film, "Surviving Ohio State," will bring more national attention to their cases.
Catch up quick: Strauss abused hundreds of male student-athletes from 1978 to 1998 during medical exams, per a 2019 independent investigation and university data.
- Officials knew about complaints as early as 1979 but "failed to investigate or act meaningfully," the investigation found.
- Strauss died by suicide in 2005. Survivors first publicly alleged abuse in 2018.
💠Alissa's thought bubble: I received early viewing access to the documentary, a thoughtful and often-shocking synopsis of a complicated and uncomfortable topic.
- While much of the information may be familiar to those who have closely followed the story, it does a great job explaining how abuse happened in survivors' voices.
Between the lines: Tough-guy gender stereotyping made it harder for them to talk about it and be taken seriously, survivors say — by officials back then, and by the public today.
- Many depended on OSU for scholarships and Strauss's medical checkoffs to compete, further complicating the situation.
- "It was a dirty little secret that we all just tip-toed around, and we just dealt with it," a former wrestler says.
Zoom in: "Surviving Ohio State" spends time highlighting U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), an assistant wrestling coach during Strauss's tenure. Jordan has denied knowing about the abuse.
Follow the money: Since 2018, OSU has settled with 296 survivors (more than half of plaintiffs) for more than $60 million, university spokesperson Ben Johnson tells Axios.
- The university also continues to cover the costs of survivors' counseling and other medical treatment.
- The cases of former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar and former University of Michigan doctor Robert Anderson attracted more attention and resulted in larger settlements compared with OSU's, though the institutionalized abuse is on a similar scale, the film notes.
What they're saying: "We express our deep regret and apologies to all who experienced Strauss' abuse," an OSU statement to Axios reads.
- It notes the school has "made robust changes to its culture and policies to protect students, faculty and staff," including establishing an office in 2018 to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
- OSU declined having a board of trustees member be interviewed for the film.
Watch "Surviving Ohio State" starting at 9pm