Former Ohio State official testified he doesn’t believe Rep. Jim Jordan’s denials about Strauss abuse
NBC News • • sports
Key Points:
- Former Ohio State University athletic director Andy Geiger testified in a deposition that he believes Rep. Jim Jordan "probably knew" about campus doctor Richard Strauss's alleged abuse of wrestlers Jordan coached in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Geiger stated that conversations about Strauss's misconduct were active among wrestlers, making it "not credible" that Jordan was unaware, though he acknowledged he does not know for sure.
- Strauss allegedly abused hundreds of male students under the guise of physical exams from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s; he died by suicide in 2005. OSU faces ongoing lawsuits from more than 200 former students alleging abuse.
- Jordan, who was an assistant wrestling coach during the abuse period and is now House Judiciary Committee chairman, has denied any knowledge of the abuse, with his spokesperson reiterating this stance after Geiger's testimony was unsealed.
- Ohio State has settled with 317 survivors for over $61 million and continues mediation efforts; depositions from other university officials reveal conflicting awareness and responses to Strauss's misconduct during the 1990s.
