Ohio State is a wretched institution. This along with Urban Meyer's cover-up of domestic abuse by one of his long time assistants is a sign of the cultural rot in that school. If the President of OSU had a backbone he'd eliminate all sports and reach a settlement with these victims immediately.
32
Strauss set a world record in abuse, which will be known and spread everywhere. It is surprising that Ohio State wrestlers were not able to fight him off. Strauss didn't fear fencers also, who could have caused him major injury.
13
@Ramesh Zamindar, when someone did try, he accused him of assault. In the 70s, 80s and 90s when student athletes assumed a "respect" towards their coaches, professors and doctors, it wasn't as common for students to fight back, even when they were physically able. Strauss held power over them, as a doctor, a medical professional, someone who was treating them for a medical condition. While it seems obvious that his method and touching was completely inappropriate, "fighting him off" probably wasn't their consideration at that time.
30
@SWolp and @Ramesh Zamindar, Strauss also determined whether each student-athlete-patient was cleared to compete. Besides possibly losing the chance to continue in their sport, athletes on scholarship were in danger of losing their financial support, which could have meant having to leave school. Strauss had a LOT of power over them.
38
I'm sure you don't mean to be insulting, but just because you're physically strong does not imply you're rape proof. Pedophiles and rapists often condition or groom their victims well before assaults begin to happen. The mere fact these kinds of reports are coming out decades after the events took place speaks to the lack of support victims feel from public opinion. Hopefully these kinds of investigations give more victims the courage to speak out.
24
Jordan came out early with his denial of knowledge after the news broke, prepared.
Attack dogs run in packs.
6
Complicity, complacency, hypocrisy.
Jordan's quickly amassed an unblemished record of them all in his personal as well as 'professional' life.
He fits right in to the current GOP governing class.
More's the pity.
Who's next?
Vote.
12
When Michael Cohen testified before Congress, Rep. Jordan was the rude, shrieky one with the childish “Liar” poster that he used as a prop. He couldn’t be bothered to wear a jacket, which I assume was meant as an equally childish insult to the witness.
Now it appears he is wrapped up in this sex abuse scandal. Wow!
14
The University's brand is sacrosanct and athletes are so much meat on the hoof...contrary to the marketing rhetoric of course.
Little wonder these allegations are whitewashed as "unfounded rumors" in real time but are so "shocking and painful to comprehend" when ignoring, denying and suppressing no longer works and they're brought out into the light.
9
Nothing here states Rep. Jim Jordan is absolved of any knowledge of what was going on. hmmmmmmm.
11
Shades of those connected to this White House, "But again and again, the report made clear, those in position to take action against Dr. Strauss seemed unwilling or unable to intervene." As I read @David Hawkins statements about James Jordan, R-OH, I am angry that so much is compromised by members of the GOP and not vigorously contested by the Dems. May I ask that some of the intelligent answers shown here also be made available on Twitter. I stay off all other platforms and I only follow a limited few on Twitter. The knowledgeable caring people have to venture to where the masses are to get the truth into the dialogue.
Sadly, I feel that we are failed by the leadership or lack thereof in the Dem party.
21
Why'd the wrestler go see this doctor 20 times if he got groped 19 times out of 20? What? He didn't get groped the 20th time so he quit going?
2
@Armando Suave
I can think of plenty of reasons. Because he was the team doctor. Because the team doctor holds a lot of power. Because he doctor obviously had the tacit support of the school and higher ups in the administration. Because athletes are accustomed to following the directions of their coaches and superiors, And because kids in that position worry about rocking the boat and getting disqualified. Because the good doctor accused one patient of assaulting HIM.
Why do some people always want to blame the victims?
21
Did you learn nothing from the cases that have preceded this? And did you not read When one doctor is in charge of student athletes and they are sent to this doctor for any checkup, illness or injury, they go. When they are first molested, they are invariably so shocked, scared and (*especially* in the case of team players) trained to unquestioningly obey authority figures, they freeze as their minds try and fail to comprehend what is happening. Afterwards, humiliation and shame prevent them from speaking to others, so they are isolated and think they may be the predator’s only victim. Or they believe him when he says he’s doing something necessary and normal, and when others don’t complain, the victim thinks that maybe it *is* normal. Moreover, he fears that if he says anything, he’ll be ridiculed and shamed in just the manner of your horrible comment (which, by the way, is so unoriginal and childish that it’s been repeated over and over by cruel fourth-graders showing off for other fourth-graders).
There are additional reasons and psychological components that come into play to enable such a predator to carry out this kind of widespread systematic abuse for years without interference from authority, but I don’t think you even read the story, so I doubt you’re reading my reply. However, if you read and simply chose not to *understand* the article, you’ve closed your mind to my words as well, so there’s no point in continuing.
14
Rather than nasty innuendos and blaming the victims, you should read up on NCAA (plus OSAD) regs on health and safety, as applied to wrestlers. They *have* to be medically cleared before every bout, especially if there are any lesions, contusions, sprains or after effects from bad falls.
11
Maybe it is time to accept that these things are as old as humankind and we survived most of it. I dislike any kind of power play and authorities taking too many liberties, but I also detect a great deal of hysteria surrounding what is now called 'inappropriate behavior'I, for instance, wouldn't dare to touch a child anymore. Come to think of it: I never touch anybody anymore, save my nearest and dearest. Is that progress?
3
@sf
Society should never “accept” these kinds of inappropriate actions in any form or fashion, and I would say the doctor was clearly aberrant and easily recognizable as such. It’s a shame that members of the power structure turned a blind eye to his proclivities - the full story has many more chapters, I’m sure.
I would also suggest that your decision to “never touch anybody anymore,” while certainly your prerogative, is evidence of your own self-imposed hysteria. And no, swearing off all physical contact with other humans out of fear that you might be accused of being a perv is certainly not progress. But that appears to be your issue, and not one that troubles most of us.
11
The doctor killed himself. Did he leave a note? Did he admit sexual misconduct, or did he say he was the victim of false accusations.
Note that the University of Southern California also had a physician in its health service who is accused of similar misconduct with male students. Dozens of those former students are pursuing claims. The doctor is no longer with the university but is still alive.
5
At Penn State, Joe Paterno figured early on that his defense coach was a pedophile, and forced him to retire. But he let him have a "child mentoring" foundation, and hang around the sports facilities and events, and the abuse continued.
The new standards require every university employee to report immediately any suspicion of abuse to the police and to an independent supervision body, rather than try to solve the problem by themselves.
The involvement of external bodies is essential. The whole scheme collapsed when an aggrieved mother went directly to the Pennsylvania attorney general, in the state capital.
8
The fencing coach, who alone vigorously protested the abuse of students, was a woman.
Men who knew what was happening did nothing. Sports build character?
13
@SKK, We need to hear from Congressman Jim Jordan.
3
Blind obedience to the dictator coach. I am glad I played a varsity sport at Brown. Our campus motto is “Question Authority”. We listened to the coach but were not blind adherents. And also there are no scholarships in the Ivy League so were not economically held hostage.
3
Is Ohio State covering for those who knew? Or is the media not reporting it? Those who covered up or didn't report should be exposed. Not for vengeance but to prevent others from covering up/not reporting in the future.
7
#Believe the men
And some of these young men say GOP Rep Jim Jordan knew but looked the other way.
17
But, of course, no one at The Ohio State will go to jail, right?
9
Interesting that when the victims (I should say "alleged victims" just to make a point) are male, the "why didn't they report" comments don't seem to come flooding in like they do when the victims are female.
8
Maybe Jim Jordan can get Bill Burr to issue a statement saying the report completely absolves him.
11
Increased chances of drug and alcohol addiction, inability to maintain intimate relationships, sexual dysfunction, sexual violence, mental illness and suicide are common side effects of sexual abuse. The people who knew about it, especially other physicians, and said nothing/did nothing, belong in jail. Those adults responsible for the health and well-being of the students are subject to personal lawsuits. I hope OSU is sued to its knees and those complicit in the crime into bankruptcy. `1As for the cowardly doctor who killed himself after abusing God knows how many kids (177 is the number reported, but anyone who deals with this topic knows that's a fraction of those he abused), may he rest in damnation.
3
Sounds like shades of the Sandusky debacle in Penn State. Cover up, denial, bury you head in the sand mentality. If I don't see it. It never happened.In the meantime all those victims suffer for the rest of their lives. It's sickening. And all probably to save the schools reputation. Well, I hope the school has deep pockets. Cause, here come the lawsuits. Not that $ will excuse or change what happened. But, maybe the victims can get allittle comfort by hitting them where it hurts. In the pockets
5
I worked in university administration for a few years. Encountered some of the least qualified people in relatively high positions. Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State appear to have had similar unqualified staff, causing great damage to their reputations and to their students. Then they hide behind FERPA to avoid accountability. And when a state university gets sued, state taxpayers foot the bill. The Ohio State athletic director who knew of student complaints but repeatedly rated this abuser “excellent” should be stripped of his pension.
23
@Tom W
so in your mind the "boss" is responsible for rumored behavior of a subordinate?
so that store on the corner is supposed to fire a stock clerk because of a rumor about him?
a doctor's office has to can the supervisor of the a worker that another worker spread a rumor about?
truly, that is what you are advocating....do you still think that is right?
@Tom W The then Athletic Director pressed for changes to the locker room and shower facility for athletes, but the building that housed these sports came under the control of Recreational Sports, over which the Athletic Department had no control. This led to the development of a separate facility, solely devoted to wrestling, gymnastics, etc., that removed them from the old one.
1
Ohio Rep Jim Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at OSU before getting elected to Congress. If the majority of victims were on the wrestling teams and in earlier reports many said he was told about the doctor's actions, he said nothing and when confronted last year still manages to stonewall. This sort of behavior reflects the character of a man who has been a steadfast Trump supporter and enabler.
83
Dr. Strauss regularly showered with college athletes and lurked around their locker rooms. Suddenly I recall a former beauty pageant owner, now in politics, who also had a habit of lurking around teenagers and young adults in various states of undress. (Whether he showered with contestants is unclear, but a former MI6 British spy has reported an interest in shower-like behavior while in Moscow.)
As glad as I am to see this report publicized, I’m dismayed not to see parallel level of outrage regarding the president’s behavior. At one level he’s just another man known for leering at and fondling young people. And it’s well documented by him—and numerous video and audio recordings.
May the men who suffered through their dealings with Schwartz, and the buzz saw of a powerful university fearful of the fallout, find healing.
36
So is the GOP pro sex abuse?? This is a legitimate question. Given Jim Jordan silence and Alabama legislature banning abortion for rape and incest victims. Couple that with Fox New's Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes sexual harrassment of victims for years. Now add Trump's chronic infidelity (let's see the White House visitors log!). What's going on with these people? And what's going on with people who vote them into power?
88
It’s disgusting that this kind of thing ever happens to anyone.
21
Ohio State is where Jim Jordan learned the art of denying evil with a straight face, a skillset that serves him well with Trump. He must be held accountable for his unwillingness to defend the student athletes entrusted to his care.
98
My father went to public high school in Chicago in the 60s. In gym class, all boys were forced to swim naked together. The worst part is before they could get in the pool they had to bend over and "crack a smile" so the gym teacher could make sure they were "clean". When I tell my father that his teacher must have been a sexual deviant he says "no, that's just how it was". It doesn't surprise me that wrestlers would keep this to themselves and rationalize the behavior. It's easy for us in 2019 to wonder how these things could happen but they lived in a different world.
29
Amen to this comment. Working on Merit Badges in the fifties in Upstate NY we had to use YMCA pools which required naked swimming. All around the pools were older men watching us.
2
I read this and it makes me feel angry and sad. My last work place, a colleague of mine (married practicing Catholic), was and continues to be accused of sexual harassment of nurses and female colleagues, but especially young female nurses. There has always been talk of affairs with nursing staff. He was also found doing very inappropriate texting with a clinic manager.
And despite all this, initial accusations were shoved under the carpet by a senior partner. The other hospital admin buy into his portrayals of being friendly, as his efforts to diffuse the young nurses’ anxiety in the ICU... who buys such misleading lies in this day and age!
An investigation is going on.
I spoke up about what I had been witness to, and him being one of the reasons, I left that place. I had found that people in top positions were then and are all too willing to cover up for him. The unfortunate part, this fraternity of coverup are part of an affluent catholic community.... the irony keeps getting worse!!
I fear that many more years will pass by with help from folks in HR and hospital administration, until finally a victim(s) will produce a video or audio evidence. It will out eventually... and it would also destroy his family.
So, this case is not rare, but an all too common story actually.
27
What will become of supposedly civilized societies, not only in the US but around the world as institution after institution: church, institutes of higher learning, medicine, government reveal themselves to be rotten to the core?
18
Women, men, girls, boys -- none are safe when there's a predator in power. To be failed by a trusted professional and the higher-ups is at once heartbreaking and infuriating. Thank you to these men for standing up (again) and shining a light on abuse. Clearly, it's not going to come from elected officials (Jim Jordan) or the complicit institutions.
33
...not to mention Jim Jordan here is to betray the students who testified before congress.
69
Why did Jordan do nothing? Was he in on it?
48
We live in an age where
- priests (males) sexually abuse children
- male educators and faculty sexually abuse their students
- male politicians sexually prey on younger less powerful girls and women (Alabama’s Roy Moore, Bill Clinton)
- male Supreme Court justice are accused credibly of being sex offenders (Thomas/Kavenaugh)
- we have a male President who is a confessed sex offender who also leers at his own daughter
And male politicians across the country are abolishing a woman’s right to privacy of their own bodies.
101
@Blue
Is your point that all men are bad? There has been plenty of stories of Female educators preying on boys. And there are plenty of pro life women. It’s never a good idea to generalize about entire groups of people.
8
@Blue Great age and place in which to live, huh?
3
@Mrs Ming: No, the point is not that all men are bad. It is that 99% of evil acts are perpetrated by men. Men, who make up 50% of the population, do virtually all of the exploitation and violence, and have done so from the beginning. It’s not generalization. It’s just history.
28
Any student who is a victim of abuse should go to the local police and bring an attorney. Record as many conversations as possible. Please, do not believe that those who run a university will put you, the victim, ahead of the academic institution.
28
@A -On this planet
Ohio State is not an academic institution. It is a sports institution which has a minor aspect offering classes so sports could entertain citizens of Ohio.
26
@A
The student athlete who reports abuse to the police stands to lose his sports career. Team doctors have the power to say an athlete is not healthy enough to play. Scholarships are granted on a subjective basis. So, many student athletes understand the imbalance of power and decide to endure the abuse in order to keep playing their sports. It is so easy to understand why monsters prey on these young people. The abusers know they are bulletproof.
21
@A there are also feelings of shame experienced by victims that this even happened to them all. Skepticism about whether or not they will be believed, which apparently many of the victims in this story were not (since accusations got swept away). Especially among male victims of sexual abuse, there is shame that they didn't do anything about it at the time it was happening, since, well, they are "men" of course, and these things shouldn't happen to men (supposed to happen to women only), or if they do, men are supposed to fight back. Ask Terry Crews.
2
Dr. Lombardo continues to work for OSU and the NFL. How soon until both drop him like a hot potato?
11
@E
He's dead.
@ExPatMX
Not according to the article, "Dr. Lombardo, who said he had conducted the investigation after a former fencing coach had raised concerns about Dr. Strauss’s interactions with fencers, declined to be interviewed by the investigators."
9
Dr Strauss who was the abuser, is dead. Dr. Lombard was is the head of sports medicine is very much alive, still affiliated with OSU, and did not comment.
4
I find it difficult to believe that Congressman Jordan was not aware of what the athletes were complaining about when he was a coach (1987 to 1995), as well as, other coaches. For this doctor to be committing this much abuse and the coaches not aware of this abuse is unbelievable.
59
As Vice-president of the national non-profit S.E.S.A.M.E. - Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation I can sadly and tragically respond that I am not surprised by the tragedy of this story. SESM - School Employee Sexual Misconduct occurs all across our nation from K12 schools to the university level. The minimization, denials, avoidance, and possible criminal cover ups by 'The Ohio State University' is common. Institutions, by nature, will attempt to protect themselves even at the cost of the safety of students. We see this played out over and over again. The only way to change these protective behaviors is to hold institutions accountable to the full extent of the law which includes holding them financially responsible to the injured victims. Along with Penn State, Michigan State and others, now The Ohio State University has a unique opportunity to make necessary and effective changes to protect students. They have fallen very short in the past. Do they have the will to make things right this time around. Only time and transparency will tell.
16
Another university knew it and did nothing. The “leaders” in our country are failing us miserably and for that they are paid enormous sums of money and almost never charged criminally just like the banisters.
16
Not surprised in the least. Nothing is going to change so let's do what should have been done from the beginning. This disgusting will only stop where it's going to hurt, in their wallet. Period.
Tax all religions. Stop the flow of free money.
All documents relating to any crimes to be handed over to an independent transparent public access authority.
No statute of limitations going forward for any victim.
A full transparent release of all documents from the Vatican and its private bank.
20
There needs to be fundamental changes throughout the medical field to help shift power back towards the patients.
5
We need the specific names of every individual who was complicit in this cover-up including Jim Jordan. Yes, or no? His own student athletes have stated they told Jordan. What exactly did he do, and why? Also, now that Ohio State has done it’s “in-house investigation” how about a real independent outside investigation by unbiased professionals. More often than not these kinds of investigations seriously downplay the real facts. So let’s have a real investigation now and let’s hear the names of all who were complicit.
64
Jordan appears arrogant enough to think he is above the law. Why is he not being questioned about his alleged knowledge of abuse involving Ohio State wrestlers? Most Republicans won't care and Trump will pardon him should Jordan be found guilty. Win-Win Jordan/Trump Republicans. Trump's got it all covered for his lackeys.
31
@JaneP
Trump can't pardon Jordan if Jordan is convicted under Ohio law, which he certainly could be.
4
"The university also revealed that dozens of Ohio State officials, including more than 50 athletic department staff members, were aware of the doctor’s actions during his nearly two-decade tenure yet did not act to stop them."
So much for Ohio State. The Catholic Church of higher education.
39
Typically enough, the institution finally does something after the perpetrator is dead.
Occasionally, when we’re lucky, the institution acts once the perpetrator (usually male) is well past the height of his power, as with Weinstein, Cosby and R Kelly.
Astounding, the extent to which institutions will protect men, even heinous and serial criminals. A woman who had committed even one non-criminal workplace infraction would’ve been summarily fired.
29
And this means what, exactly, for Rep. Jim Jordan, who was complicit in allowing his athletes to continue enduring abuse?
I hope he is held accountable for his abdication of responsibility. Anyone who turns a blind eye to assault has no business being an elected official.
77
@Kristine
I thought I had once read that Jordan's locker was next to that of the good doctor. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.
15
It’s not enough for American college athletes to have to act as unpaid laborers while their schools take in billions of dollars in TV revenue, let’s have them be sexually abused too. What is it going to take for people to take to the streets and take back their country?
30
@Louis A $40,000 scholarship to one of the top 20 public universities in the country is hardly "unpaid labor". The are adjustments to be made in how student athletes are supported, but calling them "unpaid laborers" is a gross exaggeration.
1
Some of those abused students say that GOP congressman Jim Jordan knew and didn’t report the abuse. Will he be impeached?
68
@Franco51
Impeachment does not apply to Member of Congress. All it would take is a vote of the House to expel him.
2
No, he’ll probably get a committee chairmanship.
1
"[D]ozens of Ohio State officials, including more than 50 athletic department staff members, were aware of the doctor’s actions during his nearly two-decade tenure yet did not act to stop them."
Looks like Republican Ohio CONGRESSMAN JIM JORDAN -- who was assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State during the sexual abuses -- FAILED TO REPORT the abuses.
66
Somebody should have gone to the cops and the media about this.
12
What did Jim Jordan know and when did he know it?
49
Why? Sexual abuse needs to be eradicated. And those who could help and turn their eyes away, need to be prosecuted as vigorously as the perverts who do this. I am continually appalled reading about it. This destroys a person's soul. Enough already.
13
Congressman Jordan of Ohio knew about this and did nothing
42
waiting on a comment from Jim Jordan...
36
How much did Jim Jordon know about this?
28
Hey Jim Jordan -- You were accusing Michael Cohen of looking the other way on financial crimes, but it seems like you were looking the other way on sexual molestation.
63
Jim Jordan, Jim Jordan where are you?
31
When my mother entered UCLA in the late 50s, all female students were required to get a pelvic exam upon admission. She said it was like you were a gift for the male interns. When I went to UCLA there was gynecologist who people said would give you an anal exam no matter what you came in for. I promised myself if anyone told me they were going to do it, I would say no. When I got there, he told me it was a routine part of the exam and if I wanted birth control I had to submit to the anal part of the exam. It was the first time I was in a relationship and my first exam. I had no other health insurance. I have never had an anal exam in the 30 years since as a routine part of my gynecological exam. NOT. ONCE. At least I no longer have to feel stupid for not reporting it. College students in this country have been there to provide fetish services for doctors for a very long time. We should have been paid for our services and not the other way around.
27
I think it was a generational thing, the older doctors did it and the younger did not. But I was definitely on the receiving end of an overly zealous gyno/rectal exam (twice!) by an elderly doctor who thought my potential appendicitis was a female problem. What do you do, walk out of the emergency room? At 18? When your mother who brought you there knows the guy?
10
@Teacher My proposal is that universities get rid of their health service facilities. Students can buy medical insurance and go see a doctor in the community, just like any other adult (which they are).
3
@Iconic Icon Not feasible for competitive athletes, who need constant monitoring by sports medicine experts.
ALL of this is because of the ‘winner take all’ culture, hyper competitive, capitalistic, system. Some years ago the top tennis player [male] in my children's high was almost chosen as the MVP. He was a super bully. I complained since the school bragged about a safe and welcoming environment. Not only did he not get the MVP, he and family were counseled out of the school. [my children were much younger, and had observed the bullying, but had not been subjected to the bullying]
16
"at least 177 men, including many varsity athletes" - why is it worth mentioning that many were varsity athletes? Is it somehow more horrifying that the masculinity of hyper-masculine idols is impugned? Think of the sexism and double-standard implicit in this distinction.
13
@Jeffrey Atwood
I disagree. I do think it establishes that it can happen to anyone, and I, as a woman, find some comfort in that. Also, it is often hyper-masculine males who insist that women are making these claims up, particularly ones that went unreported for years. This gives more credence to our claims. Shouldn't be that way, but it is.
41
@Jeffrey Atwood
It probably was done to emphasize that it wasn't just the younger students who were targeted. And it is rather horrifying to me that many older, physically well developed athletes were unable to defend themselves in the moment, for whatever reasons.
In the past, physical evidence of self-defense by females was taken into account by law enforcement to demonstrate the validity of claims, or lack thereof. This case rather clearly demonstrates the wrongness of that assumption.
20
@Jeffrey Atwood I read this to mean that anyone, including possibly stereotypical jocks, can be a victim. Too often we hear - "why didn't she complain? - and the implication is either that the victim shouldn't be believed; or possibly that the 'little woman' was too emotionally disturbed (and therefore unreliable as a witness) to denounce the abuser. If it was an open secret, what were the pressures on these victims such that they did not complain?
13
So consistent.
When has *any* organization responded properly to information about misdeeds by one of its own ?
15
How much more of this has been going on and continues at schools, camps, religious institutions and other places? It almost seems like an epidemic that has gone undetected for decades and may be continuing. Are the institutions which have not had an "outbreak" taking proactive steps to find the disease and prevent it in the future? This type of behavior along with sex trafficking needs way more attention in this society than what there has been to date.
10
@Blue Guy in Red State, it hasn’t gone “undetected,” but rather was sexual abuse that was enabled by being protected. Huge difference.
25
@Blue Guy in Red State
It's not a new epidemic. Sexual abuse and sexual violence (rape) against vulnerable persons (minors, students, women, prisoners, slaves, etc), has been going on for centuries. Most (certainly not all) perpetrators are men or older boys in positions of power. The difference is that people are willing to speak up now. But still they are not believed. That's the problem.
8
I don't understand the phrase "we've be obsessed with abuse" fits in to any of this.
2
It is long past time for Congressman Jim Jordan to be sued by his players and others so that he, along with the plaintiffs against him, will be forced to testify in open court about what this perverted doctor did and what Jordan knew about it and when he knew about it.
Committing perjury, and suborning to perjury, are serious crimes that should never go unpunished.
It’s well past time for the sunlight of public exposure to disinfect this mess created by the doctor and the administrators who protected or ignored the doctor’s perverted behavior.
91
@samcerritos2
Perjury usually goes unpunished. Powerful people are rarely charged, even more rarely convicted, and are often pardoned at the end. This is most obvious in politics, where party loyalty and preservation of party image come so far before justice or truth that justice and truth hardly count at all.
Where our powerful are concerned, we have no interest in punishment or justice. Where our powerless are concerned, we have every interest in punishment but, again, no interest in justice. Prosecuting attorneys and police are never punished for perjury, faking evidence, or concealing it, even when the wrongfully convicted victims are released.
This is who we are. We are also pretenders that we are not who we are. People at the top whose pretense is discovered go free.
11
@samcerritos2
When I saw this article several things came to mind,a segment of people do exactly what they are told Evan when things don’t seem right.Plus Jim Jordan,where would Jim Jordon land if Adam Schiff was in his position?
Thank You,
J Fitz
6
Below are five individuals convicted of perjury in the Watergate case and who considered themselves too powerful to be prosecuted for their Watergate crimes.
One of these five, Dwight Chapin, spoke freely to a prison inmate friend of his who was also a friend of mine, about how he thought he’d never be sent to prison.
Chapin was mistaken.
“John N. Mitchell, Attorney General of the United States who resigned to become Director of Committee to Re-elect the President, convicted of perjury about his involvement in the Watergate break-in.
H. R. Haldeman, Chief of Staff for Nixon, convicted of conspiracy to the burglary, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Served 18 months in prison.[96]
John Ehrlichman, Counsel to Nixon, convicted of conspiracy to the burglary, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Served 18 months in prison.[97]
Dwight L. Chapin, deputy assistant to Nixon, convicted of perjury.[95]
Herbert L. Porter, aide to the Committee to Re-elect the President. Convicted of perjury.[95]”
5
But, Jim Jordan knew nothing. Right.
63
@PlayOn - And he still knows nothing about anything.
12
I think writer of this article should have used the adjective "young" when referring to the victims.
"Ohio State has concluded that a team doctor sexually abused at least 177 men,"…
As victim/survivor of sexual assault at the age of 18, my rapist's defense attorneys kept referring to me as a "woman". Never as a "young" woman.
Perhaps the suggestion that the journalist use "young" as an adjective in this case is subtle. But I believe using it would have set a tone for the entire article that these 177 victims were young victims. The word "men" in, American culture, conjures ideas of virility, strength, machismo etc. Not applying the adjective dismisses the fact that these victims were young, in the care of a someone who had pledged the Hippocratic Oath. And those reporting to others about the abuse were ignored.
Potato/pahtato, maybe. But to me, a rape victim, it's a difference of guilty or not guilty.
37
@KAs
Very well said. I was childhood victim of ongoing molestation by my aunt. Male victims are often treated as lesser victims, maybe because they are supposed to be “tough” and stoic. If they are attacked by an older female, they are seen as being lucky.
Thanks for standing up for these young men.
31
As an old Penn State alumnus, I can assure you that sports can be the sacred cow at a university. The coaches can be paid higher than the president or faculty members. Sadly, this is supported by the alumni whose giving often depends on the success of the team. To this day, there are people in State College, PA, that deny anything happened and all was just a scheme by ghetto kids to extort money from the university. Sports are a bad influence on universities.
51
... and this state wants to ban abortion in case of rape
59
Jim Jordon gets the Dennis Hastert Congressional award for deceitful behavior in a grappler.
94
Jim Jordan should resign immediately. He has no business being in congress. He is a disgrace
75
Jim Jordan sounds like another pathetic excuse for a human being in the GOP- assuming he knew.
51
@Fred Lifsitz. It sounds as if most everyone on campus knew.
8
And STILL Ohio wants to ban abortion
Women run for the coast while you can!
44
@Mary M
and for office.
10
Jim Jordan has previously been named by wrestlers as a coach they complained to, who knew, and who did nothing. The right thing to do back then would have been to refer the complaints to University police and the athletic department admin. Report indicates the complaint were cross collaborated.
Seems that Rep. Jordan is “grappling with the word” complicit. The GOP under Trump.
55
What did Jim Jordan know and what did he do about it?
Some say Rep Jordan enabled Dr. Strauss through complicit silence.
Jim Jordan should not be on any judiciary committee.
Jim Jordan needs to answer to the Ohio students and their families on why he did nothing to protect them.
525
@SCPro
Nice thought, but for JJ to have not known would make him so clueless that he should never be entrusted to anything.
46
@SCPro Maybe it's time to start licenscing people to be able to use the word socialist until they can prove they know what it means.
22
@SCPro
Are you kidding? Trump prefaces most of his statements/lies with “people say” type statements. Unlike Deirdre, he has national intelligence agencies at his disposal to vet his claims - yet never does.
11
I'm one of the 177. It's painful to find out that the university knew so long ago and did nothing to address these very serious allegations. I think it was because they didn't want to release information that would tarnish the university and it's athletic department. I believe that Lombardo and Grace are due for vilification and I hope they never work again. Today would be a good day for both of them to resign from their positions. They have many questions to answer.
I am a graduate of Ohio State but I will never let my child go to school there. They knew for decades but only addressed this after lawyers got involved. hello integrity and ethics????
550
@Brian in Chicago
So sorry this happened to you. Thanks to you and the others for speaking out.
126
@Shamrock
You apparently haven't been paying attention - or your comment is merely pejorative. In case of the latter, it's inappropriate to shame the victim nowadays.
In case of the former, allow me to explain. Reporting something to authorities - either University or law - for which there was no witness in past decades didn't carry a high likelihood of causing satisfaction, and in addition carried the very real possibility that the claimant would be shamed, shunned or suffer worse consequences. Just as you may be trying to do here.
Most of us now see things a bit more clearly, thanks to some brave women and children, a few persistent journalists and even a doggedly ambitious lawyer or two.
68
@Shamrock: Shamrock, you realize law enforcement is not likely to do anything if a male athlete says his doctor groped him. (Also true if a female athlete said she was groped by her doctor. There's likely no physical evidence (no bruises, injury, etc.) It's be 'he said' versus 'he said." And perpetrators know their victims lack options and they know that the system they work for will protect them. Stop acting like going to the police traumatically ensures there will be a full and complete investigation; these things are often dismissed out of hand.
27
The man was a pervert, no doubt. We’ve become obsessed with abuse apparently.
1
I don't understand the phrase "we've become obsessed with abuse
9
Not obsessed; we’ve just started to finally get serious about rooting out institutions that are rife with rapists and pedophiles.
24
@L - No we haven't. The Catholic Church still operates tax free promising decade after decade that things will change. Nothing is going to change over this.
4
Seems like every post blames this on Jim Jordan.
Even progressives expect a GOP congressman to hold higher standards than any of the Democrats who knew about it.
Not at all surprising.
@SCPro Jim Jordan was an assistant coach of wrestling at OSU during this time period. Several wrestlers have come forward and asserted that they spoke directly to Jordan about the abuse and were ignored. If there is evidence he had direct knowledge and did nothing, he should be charged. If found guilty he should be expelled from the Congress. That is neither a D or and R issue.
While Jordan's politics are irrelevant to his alleged complicity, his "holier than thou" attitude as a "truth" seeker in Congress certainly make his hypocrisy here a bigger target. Jordan's own views on scrutiny/punishment/public shaming vis a vis his previous investigative targets, when far less circumstantial evidence of criminal behavior was established in those cases, should apply to Jordan as well.
82
@Bill Ryan
I agree that if he's guilty, he should be punished. However, blaming this on an assistant coach seems a bit premature.
Could the higher ups be culpable, perhaps?
@SCPro all of them. Isn't it odd that a ranking member of Congress who was right in the middle of this want even mentioned in the story?
5
Shame on Ohio State and those who enabled or ignored this criminal behavior. Ohio State in particular and college athletics in general are long overdue for a cleaning out and purge. As a college educator for the past 33 years, stories like this break my heart.
9
There must be an all-inclusive law requiring priests, doctors, sports coaches and business supervisors to never be alone with a subordinate. Never. Even if it requires their offices have glass walls and doors. Just as a President of the United States must never be alone in any discussions with any other world leader. Time and again we see this has proven necessary.
10
@Jerry Sturdivant . Your forgot the worst. Lawyers.
2
@Jerry Sturdivant I (a male) agreed to my family physcian's suggestion that he perform an anal inspection in his facility. I was discreetly covered with a sheet while the physician asked his female nurse to stand by (as a witness.)
Trust, discretion.
4
@Jerry Sturdivant - Add teachers, too.
But I agree. If we quit leaving children alone with another human other than the family, things can change. Then, we can work on figuring out how to keep all of the creepy uncles at bay.
4
So I guess since the report does not name any of the coaching staff including Jim Jordan, that nothing will come of this report.
OSU will still going about business as usual with no fine or penalty, no one from the coaching staff will be fine the Doctor is dead and the school can file this report in the trash and say they did something.
Just another sad state of America, Churches, Univ and big business pay no taxes and do what you want with no penalties or fines
30
@Joe
I don't think the public is going to let the administrators or Jordan off the hook on this one. There are records, and corroborated testimony. Why it's taken so long for the investigation to nail the remaining perps to a court date is another question worth asking. The victims should file a class action and get it moving, if that's legally possible. What's probably going to happen, however, is a huge settlement for some and NDA's. And maybe a small shift in our culture, to the good. And hopefully some relief of any remaining shame, guilt, anger on the part of the victims, whether participating in the suit(s) or remaining silent.
15
The mind boggles.
5
Disgusting beyond belief.
6
I think Jim Jordan was in on it; he had to be. If you look at the way he acts in Congress, then you can see what kind of man he truly is. He supports Trump regardless of what he does immorally or unethically, so there you have it! Why would you expect anything less of this man. He did the same thing at OSU.
He did not see no evil, heard any athletes say no evil, and did not report no Strauss evil! But he seems to have gotten 20/20 vision, a hearing aid and the ability to report or investigate everything except Trump.
37
Here you have rep Jim Jordan R Ohio claiming the report clears him. It does not . In fact it states that from 1979 to 1996 there were 177 victims interviewed 38 were from the wrestling program. It strains credulity that Mr Jordan knew nothing of the doctor's sexual abuse. The report goes on to say that higher ups were made aware of the problem and did nothing. It was also common knowledge within the Ohio State wrestling locker room where rep Jordan served as an assistant coach that students were being abused. Now you have Jim Jordan leading the charge against the FBI for alleged improprieties in the Russian investigation. It's time to come clean Jim.
50
Well we Ohioans can thank our congressman Jim Jordan, an assistant wrestling coach at OSU during the Strauss era, for his fine contribution to this scandal. Mr. Jordan claims he knew nothing about this guy, even though wrestlers had complained about Strauss to him.
But then again, he's busy defending the president right now -- another fine citizen with no flaws.
111
@Preserving America
And he was quite a noisy cheerleader for Kavanaugh. Seems consistent, doesn't it?
54
As mentioned by below by Mike Schwarcz, from Texas: Jim Jordan did nothing. He may have won two NCAA D-1 wrestling championships, but he's a coward! He should have taken that doctor down with a simple leg shot. Now, he can grapple with his conscience (if he has one)!
38
Cowardly enablers like GOP congressman Jim Jordan adopted a “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil “ attitude about Dr. Strauss, that allowed his evil abuse to continue unhindered. The fact that such morally deficient individuals are in positions of privilege and power in our government is shocking and sickening.
64
One of the biggest problems we have in our nation - in fact the problem that led to Trump himself, and the sudden abortion crisis, is seeing things as either Good or Evil.
Given the choice of the “Good” of a winning NCAA wrestling team, the future senator closed his eyes to what he considered the lesser Evil.
Try right and wrong - try the simple formulation of the founder of a movement the guy called Jesus, son of the divine by most Christians stating his core value - “not to do to others that which you would find wrong if done to you”.
Good and Evil are Big Personal Concepts, why they are the poles of morality - “my beliefs”.
We need government that thinks of proper and improper, and sets those community (not personal) values out in the form of human least-restrictive law, which ignores personal differences that harm no others - but implies a positive demand to help those in need, especially by reporting and stopping those who use positions of power to harm others.
We have, as a society, only now reached the point where we can say “homosexuality is Ok for those who wish it - but all sexual assault is assault.”
We seem to have a case where a man allegedly got away with serial crimes because those assaulted would be tarred as “evil” or “poisoned for life” because they “allowed” themselves to be victims.
I hear a 1970s Ohio defense lawyer saying “you big strong wrestler, you did nothing to stop it - did you like it?”
Society considered “dirty stories” worse back then/there.
6
Before you say “unbelievable” just visit Columbus, OH during a home football game. See how important athletics is to these people. It is everything!!
So, the priorities of Jim Jordan go along with that. The guy was an athlete...a coach. He was not a philosophy professor. Not a physics instructor. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He was ambitious. Now he has what he wanted all along...winning at any price.
Is this the kind of man you want your son to grow up to be?
44
This physician died 14 years ago . . . Why didn't the university investigate this while he was still alive?
14
@CastleMan Sports keep the money pot full.
11
I know this report was on breaking news deadline, but the elephant in the room is Rep. Jim Jordan. Surely a reaction from him to the report and perhaps answering a question or two would be within the purview of sound journalistic practice.
50
This article points to abhorrent behavior on the part of this “coach”. And representative Jim Jordan was an assistant coach when these events took place. Why was he silent? Why didn’t the university do something, anything about this? The school bears a responsibility to investigate this and they are guilty of hiding this. If I were a student at this school I would leave. And I hope that lawsuits against the school are successful.
29
Some of the comments on this thread are truly heartbreaking- for their ignorance. It is apparent most know nothing about competitive sports. Most-if-not-all college athletes began practicing and competing as young children.
In a culture of grooming and practice and more grooming and practice(and high-stakes competition)-typically beginning around age 5, these children become compliant to adult authority: Their body is their tool and they trust the adults who make decisions about their abilities and decisions to enter them into competitions and clear them to compete. Trusting coaches and team doctors is what they know.
They aren't ignorant just programmed. The shame for those sexually abused is typically universal; they do not tell.
The fact (this time around) that the athletes were male isn't relevant.
16
@Candlewick
I really don't think it's likely a young athlete of either sex can be "programmed" to ignore rape. However - the fact that these victims are males definitely colors our reactions to it, and likely impacted their decisions.
The fact is, you (and surely many of us) still see women victims as weak in some sense - and it's harder to admit that strong, athletic young men, too, have been just as adeptly victimized and silenced by a predator, and reacted similarly to women victims facing similar circumstances.
1) preying upon males made his crimes easier to hide, as no pregnancies occurred as a result.
2) male athletic culture, and the apparent fact that the doctor already had a reputation, may have further driven victims to keep quiet. ("you shoulda known better") Parental/peer pressure could play a role, as could scholarships at risk.
3) If it was common knowledge that their esteemed coaches were aware and complicit, raising a fuss was further driven underground.
There is absolutely no need or defense for blaming these victims. Nor is there a need to absolve them of responsibility for not reporting timely. They had their individual reasons, which we do not know. What we ought to be able to do (by now) is to understand the situation, withhold judgement while pursuing the truth and meanwhile support them in every way possible, short of encouraging false claims for monetary gain, of course!
4
These schools never learn one of the first thing journalism schools teach about crisis management. Tell the public everything you know about one of your own who went off the rails as soon as you have satisfactory evidence. Own up to it and tell them what you're doing about it. They WILL find out. The farther down the road you are when they do, the more miserable the outcome for your reputation. Every one of them think they'll get away with the public staying in the dark. It never winds up that way.
10
@DVX
And we keep pouring money into collegiate sports that cause terrible injuries, undermine scholastic standards and, and, and ... raise a ton of cash.
8
Jim Jordan no doubt knew this already. It’s time he’s held accountable as well, though “stonewalling” and faulty memory seems the GOP’s strategy of choice these days.
35
@the doctor
They skewered Paterno for doing nothing. Jordan should be held to the same standard.
16
@Dennis
He did nothing - about all that he knew and surmised
4
Institutions listen to money whooshing out the door. Sue. Sue. Sue.
When these institutions have to pay settlements to survivors...then the University will address it. They value their endowments.
It is time doctors were no longer treated like gods. They are as likely to have human frailties as any other person. Priests, the same.
13
People like Jordan care more about their own career than they do about a student being sexually abused. People look the other way out of ambition and a “me first” view of life. The president of MSU placed a higher value on fundraising than she did on protecting students against sexual abuse. Self interest. Succeed at any price.
29
Fascinating how NYTimes manages to religiously step around the issue of Rep. Jim Jordan's involvement in this matter! His impassioned defense of Brett Kavanaugh in light of this information is very interesting, also.
For a more complete background on the accusations, circa July 2018, see "Powerful GOP Rep. Jim Jordan accused of turning blind eye to sexual abuse as Ohio State wrestling coach"
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/powerful-gop-rep-jim-jordan-accused-turning-blind-eye-sexual-n888386
48
The people who were in a position to report and challenge Strauss but did not are worse than the Nazis. At least then, people were genuinely afraid that they or their loved ones would lose their lives. What was so frightening to those who allowed Strauss to perpetrate his crimes for decades? It is just disgusting and abhorrent.
8
Catholic Church, Boy scouts, college coaches, MeToo victims,
endless.
How to address this plague??
7
@s brady
I think we are beginning to address it, in the tremendously inefficient, delayed and reluctant way we address everything in this country (and others) - based on popular acclaim, media reporting, and a few brave souls who decide "enough is enough". Then, courts and laws and politicians sheepishly follow... This case, because young athletic males were victimized, will probably do a lot to advance the cause championed mostly by women and Catholic children, (now adults), who had the guts to say "no more". It's been a long time coming. We can only hope, and watch, and demand action where it's needed. Don't just "believe" - prosecute!
2
OK, so where is the groundswell of outrage at Mr. Jordan? Senator Al Franken was demonized because of a stupid and childish prank which involved another human being only to the extent of that person being photographed with Mr. Franken. No body parts were touched.
If Senator Franken's sophomoric stunt ended his political career, what about this guy Jordan?
67
@G. T. L. He is a Republican. These sorts of things are viewed differently by Republicans when done by Republicans.
14
@John Smith He is also a Republican in one the most heavily gerrymandered districts in Ohio, a state where gerrymandering is a national sport. Look at Ohio's congressional map - it's not for nothing that his district is referred to as "the Duck".
Your failure to mention Rep. Jim Jordan is an extraordinary journalistic lapse which needs investigation by senior NYT staff and an explanation to your readers.
46
Gymn Jordan should have been outraged.
"...Many former students interviewed for the report said they believed that Dr. Strauss’s actions were an “open secret” on campus, but felt that coaches and other team doctors did not seem inclined to stop it. For example, some of those interviewed said, there was much talk about Dr. Strauss’s tendency to shower with students and loiter in the locker room area..."
7
The reporter, Victor Mather, fails to inform us that the report is redacted, with what seems to be a heavy hand.
Also, the reporter fails to note that Representative Jim Jordan was one of the coaches who neglected the athletes he coached when they complained about Dr. Strauss' mistreatment. Congressman Jordan has publicly stated he knew nothing about the complaints, but the report, even redacted, says that Dr. Strauss' mistreatment was an open secret. Victor Mather offers no information about how a college coach ignores an open secret about sexual abuse - or goes on to become a powerful member of Congress.
36
Has anyone asked Congressman Jordan to comment?
16
No mention of Rep. Jim Jordon as a coach. But this is the NYT it is not about her E Mails.
16
How could of Ohio State turn a blind eye for so long?
Its shocking how these young men were not believed
or nothing was done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They need to be sued to understand the weight of this
abuse on all the families.
5
@Therese Stellato because of Money. Lots of Money
3
Interesting that during some of those years the State of Ohio was sponsoring Sexual Abuse Treatment And Sexual Abuse Offender treatment on the very campus the abuse was taking place. Ohio Youth Services and other agencies were trained in assessment of both spectrums. In fact, the movement toward Sex Offender Treatment was spurned on by our knowledge that we were seeing a tip of a massive iceberg and only stopping the offenders would stop the trauma. Loss and Ross Associates were the hired trainers.
It is time.......,,,...
1
@Mary OMalley
I don't think you can "stop the offenders" except by removing them from society. They have found too much institutional cover - much of it in schools, elite horeseback riding academies, sports hierarchies, churches and medical clinics. Lectures are not going to do it, though they could enhance awareness and self-defense techniques/legal knowledge.
1
Rep. Jim Jordan knew and he should be held accountable.
26
The alleged (but probably real) crimes described here occurred decades ago. The man alleged to have committed them took his own life in 2005.
On the one hand, the victims deserve justice. But perhaps we should ask: is there a point at which opening old wounds, and rehashing horrors that took place decades ago, does more harm to the victims than it does good?
2
@Alex This victim of childhood sexual abuse half a century ago, a crime never seriously addressed, says, "No, there isn't such a point." I am by no means unique. Kindly know that you speak of wounds that do not heal.
12
@Alex
No, we don’t need to ask that question. How can it possibly harm victims to publicly acknowledge that they were wronged? Especially when this public acknowledgement will help them sue and receive the tangible benefit of money damages.
And especially when a big part of the original wrong was that the university, and the culture at large, swept these crimes under the rug.
6
@Alex
I was sexually assaulted by a man 61 years ago and it is still fresh in my mind. There should NOT be a statute of limitations on a crime that effects people their entire lives. The perpetrator may be dead but the enablers are not and should be held accountable.
7
Tenure at Ohio State U. survives just about anything, apparently.
So now we have a clear illustration that men subjected to sexual harassment/abuse behave pretty much exactly as do women. As young male athletes, admitting to a victim role would certainly not have been any easier than it is for a woman to do so. Nor can living with the memory of abuse be pleasant for either one.
Men and women who are fearful of blowing the whistle due to shame, uncertainty, repercussions or lost career opportunities are struck silent for decades - until one comes forward and there appears to be societal support and/or financial gain to be had.
What's different now is that we see no comments on "why did they wait?" Maybe we are learning something from the women and children, after all. Certain university administrators and coaches excepted, that is. Those responsible need to be brought to account, hopefully pre-mortem. 500 interviews to raise suspicion seems awfully excessive. One would think the law firm involved could be working a bit more expeditiously, despite the deep pockets of the negligent responsible entity.
29
@Quite Contrary
Thanks from the bottom of my heart for saying this. Why did they wait? Because it’s embarrassing and frightening to be subjected to abuse, no matter who you are, man or woman. And because it takes a feeling of safety and support to dare to speak out. I really hope this helps put paid to all the victim-blaming we’ve seen, right up to the Supreme Court.
6
And only ONE student tried to fight back?
It’s hard to believe that those guys, being athletes, did not attempt to physically resist what he was doing.
10
@Jerrold
Jerrold; what are you inferring?What has being an athlete got to do with the issue of sexual abuse; plenty of gymnasts (athletes) were abused by a team physician.
Is it your position that males cannot be raped and sexually abused? 17, 18, 19 year old male teens?
Please enlighten the rest of us.
5
@Jerrold I sure hope your remark was intended as tongue-in-cheek
1
@Jerrold
Not hard to believe athletes were intimidated into submission because they feared administration would not believe them. Keep your head down and fly, that is how young people often believe. These athletes know administration will take sides against students for accusations leveled at a doctor!! C’mon, get real. Survive!! “If I want a spot on an Olympic team, I need to not make waves.” Not hard to believe.
9
Isn't the report a bit late coming?
12
@mtrav
yes it is. I wonder if any statutes of limitations have passed by as a result. Wouldn’t that be shocking
4
Jim Jordan; complicit in silence or utterly clueless?
These seem to be the only two viable choices.
90
@Mike Schwarcz Or run for Congress, option 3.
7
@Mike Schwarcz
The victims weren't the only ones worried about possible repercussions - Jordan had his career and his friends in the University to protect. Anyway, uninvited fondling of boys (or girls) without their permission apparently still isn't a big issue to him. See his comments on pal Brett Kavanaugh! It's pretty clear cluelessness would be an overly generous suspicion, if you review the known facts.
6
@Mike Schwarcz: Why not both?
2
what? no mention of Jim Jordan and his complicity in this scandal???
oh, right- he's a "republican", so he cant be held accountable for any of his misdeeds
97
@th
No. Jordon is held above reproach because he is a politician, not because he is of either party.
1
Jim Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at OSU when the students approached him to complain about the sexual abuse by the team physician. They said he ignored them. Jordan denies the charges. I believe the students.
198
@Barb I too believe the students. Where was Mr. Jordan? Was he watching and how in heck did the NY Times not mention his involvement with this mess? Shameful lapsis in my opinion as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
17
@Barb
Please, let's not start that "I believe" stuff, shall we?
There seems to be an abundance of actual testimony (aka evidence) in this case to support charges and (eventually) clearcut legal decisions. Determining specific culpability, degree thereof and appropriate punishments is ongoing. (And going to be very interesting, indeed, given the politics and sensibilities of the times.)
It might be bye-bye Rep. Jordan, one might hope - but then we know many (not all) Republicans can be very forgiving in such cases...
Meanwhile, can we make observations based on reported facts, not suppositions?
7
@Maureen A Donnelly
Maureen - I am so sorry to hear that you suffered childhood sexual abuse.
I believe the report did not name the coaches or the assistant coaches.
1
Yet Congressman Jordan chalked it all up to "Locker Room Banter":
Not that he hadn't heard about it; not that he didn't know...but because the dirty-deed was discussed in The Locker Room thus absolving all legitimacy to the actions.
There is an appropriate place for pedophiles and their enablers: Behind prison bars.
111
As a staunch conservative, I demand that Jim Jordan resign his position in congress. We cannot have someone serve who clearly ignored a sexual predator's behavior in order to protect his own position. If he was willing to compromise his integrity this much 20 years ago, what's he willing to do now?
194
@Markymark
So, you are saying the Pope should step down for the same reason?
2
@JRW
Yes, the pope should resign if he knew of sexual abuse and did nothing to stop it, that is what you are supposed to do when you are in a position of power above the abused. I’m not saying the pope did know but if that’s the case than absolutely they should reign be it an assistant coach or the pope. It’s pretty basic ethics and the understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong. But I don’t believe that’s what the original poster was saying, yours is a poorly laid trap.
8
So NYT - great article on the Ohio State report. I’m expecting a companion article in the near future in which your investigative reporters take on the Rep. Jim Jordan connection.
142
Finally the university is taking decisive action to revoke his professor emeritus status. Unbelievable.
18
@Sophocles There is something creepy about any attempts at postmortem punishments.
7
Criminal behavior, including child abuse, will persist in every school and workplace until we end the practice of 'internal investigations.' Crimes need to be handled one way, by law enforcement and courts. False accusations will not be a problem since they come with charges for filing false claims, and the guilty will be arrested, not covered up.
It's time all these mealy mouthed deans, lawyers, and office administrators, whose livelihood is based on hiding criminal behavior, were dispensed with.
36
@elle
Agree.
1
Knowing and saying nothing is complicity and Jim Jordon should be investigated.
74
So, if they were student athletes at the time, will the NCAA claim ownership of the lawsuit settlements?
True travesty for the 177.
6
So what happens to Jim Jordan who not only knew about it, but covered it up?
88
One of those "officials" was Republican congressman Jim Jordan. Name and shame him. He should resign from congress.
He is also almost certainly one of the Republicans who was in contact with people like Michael Flynn in the obstruction of justice in the Mueller investigation into the trump campaigns conspiring with Russia. The numerous individuals and Donald himself obstructing justice are why the Mueller team said they could not conclusively prove the conspiracy that we all saw every day of the campaign.
65
Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State !
And all the top tier schools involved in the currently unfolding bribery admissions scandal .
Add in the Catholic Church cover-ups world wide and the recent Boy Scouts expose and one could become very worried about how to protect our youth.
It is unspeakable that these things are allowed to happen. Shame on all of us.
29
@Bill Wilson You forgot to mention USC.
5
@Bill
Ohio State and Michigan State are not “top tier” schools! They are schools with huge budgets for sports. Look at their “acceptance rate.” Google it.
2
@WH Ohio State is one of the top 20 public universities in America - it is a "top tier" school. The acceptance rate is only 50%, and it has the highest SAT and ACT scores in the state.
Ohio State's total sports budget is $116M, out of a total budget of over $5B. You can argue that the athletic budget is larger than it should be, but it is still a very small fraction of Ohio State's total operation.
Since the university acknowledged that it knew about the abuse and failed to take any action there is only one appropriate penalty. Banishment from competing in all intercollegiate sports for 25 years starting today. This matches the penalty meted out to CCNY in the 50’s for a much lesser offense, point shaving. I’m sure there will be monetary compensation to the abused but it will never change what they went through. There should be serious prison time given to any college official or faculty who knew about the abuse and did nothing. At least in prison the punishment will fit the crime.
49
@Indy1 That just punishes student athletes
6
@Michigan Girl I disagreed. It hits the university in the pocketbook that is sports-funded. Remember, we join the university to learn.
4
@Indy1 they're talking about the coaches & administrators, not the athletes. Jim Jordan belongs in prison.
8
So did the report reference Gym Jordan, as one of the coaches who knew about Strauss' abuse? Tonot even mention him in this article is inexplicable since he was accused of OSU wrestler's of being aware of Strauss' perversion but not protecting them. We need an 11 hour Congressional hearing on this matter.
278
@sleeve SEVEN times
6
@sleeve
Yes, sadly this fake president has presided over a culture of sexual abuse, perhaps including Jordan....
9
@sleeve The Report does not mention any coaches by name. The head wrestling coach, for example, is simply referred to as "Coach A". Jordan's name does not appear in it.
https://presspage-production-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2170/finalredactedstraussinvestigationreport-471531.pdf?10000
Jim Jordan should be out in jail for a long time!!! It's time to start calling him out!!!
210
What did Jim Jordan know and when did he know it?
182
Not one time in the article did I read or even infer anything about police involvement. Why are these institutions allowed to investigate themselves and bury the problem?
153
@Mark
I thought the same - why is such a scandal permitted to "stay internal" as opposed to being turned over to police or other external authorities? It reminds me of the Catholic Church.
1
Rep Gym Jordan knows this guy well. He only worked with him for 12 years while he was showering with kids.
240
Wrestlers were the prime targets; Jim Jordan was assistant wrestling coach. Hard to believe he wasn't aware and simply looked the other way.
284
Is such behavior is true at ANY institution to which we trust our children, institutions which are supposed to help educate and teach ethical and moral responsibility, they MUST be held criminally responsible for allowing it to happen.
Aren't the Penn State and Catholic Church issues glaring enough to warrant draconian action? When will this insanity stop, just like that of the NRA?
47
@RealTRUTH
It stops when we go back to reporting crimes to law enforcement and handling the cases in court.
Institutions have created giant legal departments and counseling, administrators, student boards, where justice and law are squashed to 'protect the image'. Workplaces are the same. We have a court system and law enforcement: no other people are needed or qualified.
38
@elle
I agree completely but place the majority of the blame on the individuals who enable this horrible behavior as well as those who commit it. It goes up the ladder to the very top and ALL involved but be held responsible - including the DAs and Law enforcement who often fail to prosecute unless it makes big headlines.
6
@elle
Not to mention the tool most frequently used to quash charges - financial settlements and NDAs. Even smaller community colleges pay out substantial six figure amounts to avoid the cost and bad PR generated by court battles. Justice and morality have nothing to do with those decisions, they are motivated by pure institutional self-preservation. And those agreeing to settle are most frequently tempted by $ and avoiding notoriety more than by pitching a difficult, lengthy battle for a moral victory. So, nothing changes. Paying hush money is still legal and it surely is immoral - see Stormy Daniels case.
1
Why is the athletic director not named in this report? Or other senior supervising officials? These people should be named and shamed.
107
@Greg He is. It was Andy Geiger at the time, and the Report outlines his efforts to get changes made in the athletic facilities to stop these abuses.
https://presspage-production-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2170/finalredactedstraussinvestigationreport-471531.pdf?10000
There should be an immediate investigation into Ohio Rep Jim Jordon, who has been accused by many of these young men of direct knowledge of these incidents. Jordan should immediately resign.
327
Why does this story fail to mention that James Jordan, R-Ohio, who was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State, has been accused by five former wrestlers of ignoring their complaints about Strauss sexually assaulting them? Is it not newsworthy that a congressman is among the Ohio State school officials who allegedly knew about Strauss’s behavior, but did nothing to stop it?
629
@David Hawkins-Jim Jordan likely remains in office because of the success of "the GOP's Ohio voter purge policy which strikes voters from the rolls in Democratic-leaning neighborhoods at roughly twice the rate as in Republican neighborhoods. Neighborhoods with a high proportion of poor, black residents have been hardest hit." Like Alabama's Roy Moore, he claims innocence while savaging opponents. Hopefully, his MIA/no nothing defense will receive due scrutiny in court and be shown up for the cowardly failure it is.
http://www.chroniclet.com/state-news/2018/08/31/Ohio-State-145-firsthand-accounts-of-doctor-sex-misconduct.html
https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2018/10/federal_judge_deals_another_bl_1.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618870982/supreme-court-upholds-controversial-ohio-voter-purge-law
9
@David Hawkins
From Politico article:
"...several wrestlers insist (Rep Jim) Jordan knew, directly or indirectly, about Strauss' behavior, and he was named in lawsuits against the university."
Jordan is not walking away from this enormous scandal.
9
@David Hawkins
David, These days people are afraid of the bullys like Trump and Jordan. It’s simpke if you are aggressive no body wants to challenge you
Jim Jordan obviously knew about this and covering this up is way worse than what led to Senator Franken resigning. Jordan needs to go.
314
@Name (required)
Thanks for pointing out this hugely lop-sided result to misconduct allegations. Excellent point!
29
School faculty members, particularly the athletic coaches, enabled a sociopath to assault children.
America needs to hold school administration and faculty responsible when their acts of omission and turning a blind eye, allow predators such as Mr. Strauss to continue their sexual assaults, which in turn create PTSD and an avalanche of related mental health disorders among the victims.
How strange that a handful of former students testified to Congress, that the asked their coach, Athletic assistant director Jim Jordin, Congressman of the 4th district of Ohio, for help against Strauss's sexual assaults, and he tragically became blind and later somehow developed amnesia.
180
@Steven of the Rockies
Athletic coaches are not faculty. Faculty had nothing to do with this.
4
It's not unusual for authorities to ignore abuses on a small statistical percentage scale. They govern the masses and can't respond to individual reports of abuse. I was psychologically abused by a TA studying to be a PhD at Purdue and reported it. They refused to do anything about it. The intentional infliction of mental distress by an employee of the University led to my diagnosis of an alleged mental illness by the Catholic Church. The perpetrators refuse to admit any wrongdoing at such a high intellectual class where they are above the law and prosecution.
26
Either Jim Jordan knew about these assaults, and was thus an accessory, or he was so incompetent about what was going on around him in the locker room that he has no business being in Congress.
But trust me, having been on organized sports teams, ALL the coaches know what goes on with their players, whether it’s girlfriends, partying, skipping classes, or sexual assault.
230
what is the status of investigating the coaches during these events . They need to answer to the past and any present lack of protecting are youth .
32
Wonder if Rep Sanctimonious (Jim Jordan) was a victim or both victim and enabler (by participating in cover up).
235
Yes, NYT, please investigate House Representative Jim Jordan’s role in this. The story has been murky at best.
203
@Don
From him I would not be surprised at anything. He is way too over-the-top sanctimonious and we know he and his buddies are the ultimate hypocrites!
As with Trump, where there's so much smoke there is definitely fire.
100
Hmmmmm, echoes of Rep. Jim Jordan and President Donald J Trump? Why is it that accusations of sexual abuse against powerful men are not believed?
There is only a miniscule chance that someone would fabricate such a charge, yet, because the Dr.'s have power and prestige and the victims "might be" making it up (again, miniscule chance), the charges are not believed.
How can we be shocked when we see powerful men accused and the victims dismissed?
135
@JFR
The only thing shocking about this is that the victims are men as well. And I believe them, and it's serious, and they deserve justice. But powerful white men get away with stuff.
21
I simply don't believe Rep. Jim Jordan could serve as an assistant coach from 1987-1995 and be unaware of what was going on, especially on this massive scale. So he's either a liar (most likely) or too detached and clueless to be trusted in Congress. So sick of these terribly flawed Republicans in office.
550
Wasn't it reported earlier when this matter became public that Jordan was quoted as saying in the locker room, "don't get me involved in this?"@J. Collins
110
I'm sure we'll get "I do not recall." what a coward.
20
@J. Collins Nobody believes Jim Jordan.
22
disgusting, should be a mandatory reporter when working as an institution. allowing more and more people to be victimized and not doing anything to stop it. pull their Federal funding and let's see how quickly they act then
45
Under Title IX, college and university employees who are not subject to confidentiality (e.g., doctors, counselors) are required to report incidents of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment to their school’s Title IX coordinator.
2
@Corinne Colbert
And what is the penalty if they don't? How are they apprehended? Toothless/unenforceable regulations make us feel better but may actually have the opposite effect of masking noncompliance in plain sight. Compliance offices can be nothing more than deceptive window dressing.
Kind of like how some "HR" departments have been used to enable wrongful firing by coaching the company/employer how to sidestep legitimate legal claims? Or silence whistle blowers? Or cover up for profit-generating abusers? Most employees fear the "HR" department, and rightfully so. Follow the money applies here, too...
3