Timeline

Richard Strauss begins employment at Ohio State.

Strauss stops seeing patients at Ohio State.

Strauss leaves Ohio State.

Strauss dies in California.

Ohio State receives a complaint about Strauss from a survivor and former student-athlete alleging abuse by Strauss decades earlier.

Less than a week after receiving the initial complaint, Ohio State announces an investigation and notifies the Columbus Division of Police. Perkins Coie LLP is retained to conduct an external, independent investigation.

First lawsuits are filed against Ohio State by survivors while the external, independent investigation is underway.

The Board of Trustees hears at a public university meeting from seven former students who reported they experienced sexual abuse by Strauss.

Ohio State announces it will cover the cost of professionally certified counseling services and medical treatment for anyone affected by Strauss for as long as needed, as well as reimburse costs for pre-existing counseling and treatment related to Strauss.

Ohio State publicly releases and posts online the 182-page Perkins Coie Report summarizing the investigation and its findings and more than 17,500 pages of records relating to Strauss. The investigation finds that at least 177 male students were sexually abused by Strauss.

Ohio State’s Board of Trustees takes special action to revoke Strauss’ emeritus status.

Additional lawsuits are filed against Ohio State. New lawsuits continue to be filed until October 2021.

The university convenes the Task Force on Sexual Abuse to review recent sexual abuse cases and identify educational tools and best practices for fostering a culture of awareness and compliance in higher education.

The Board of Trustees hears at a public university meeting from three former students who reported they experienced sexual abuse by Strauss.

Ohio State reaches $40.9 million settlement with 162 survivors, awarding an average of $252,000 to each individual.

Ohio State reaches a second settlement of $5.8 million with 23 survivors, awarding an average of $252,000 to each individual.

The Task Force on Sexual Abuse releases its report focused on enhancing a culture of compliance, and establishing sustainable mechanisms for survivor support and recovery.

The Board of Trustees hears at a public university meeting from three former students who reported they experienced sexual abuse by Strauss.

Ohio State publicly launches an Individual Settlement Program, administered by a third party, for survivors who have not previously reached a settlement. The individual settlement program remains open for 120 days.

As a result of the Individual Settlement Program, Ohio State reaches a third settlement of $11.1 million with 47 survivors.

The trial court dismisses the first lawsuits based on the expiration of the two-year statute of limitations.

The last lawsuit against Ohio State is filed.

Plaintiffs file appeals of the trial court’s decisions with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The Board of Trustees hears at a public university meeting from three former students who reported they experienced sexual abuse by Strauss.

Ohio State reaches a fourth settlement of $1.9 million with 54 survivors.

Ohio State reaches a fifth settlement of $350,000 with 10 survivors.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s divided, 2-1 ruling allows decades-old Title IX claims to go back to the trial court and expands Title IX protections to cover virtually anyone. A lengthy dissenting opinion is issued.

Seven public universities join in a friend-of-the-court amicus brief filed in support of Ohio State’s request for a rehearing en banc of the divided decision before the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The Board of Trustees hears at a public university meeting from three former students who reported they experienced sexual abuse by Strauss.

In another divided decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denies Ohio State’s petition for the full court to hear the case en banc. Four judges issue or join in dissenting opinions or expressly invite the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit grants Ohio State’s motion to stay the mandate to the trial court, meaning the litigation will not proceed in the trial court until the Supreme Court decides whether to review the case. The standard for staying the mandate is that the case raises “substantial questions,” and that “good cause” exists for the stay.

Ohio State files a petition for a writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting the Court review the case. The petition asks the Court to preserve the longstanding statute of limitations for Title IX claims, which are foundational to our shared rule of law, and to uphold reasonable protections that are important to nearly all educational institutions.

The United States Supreme Court’s declined to review Ohio State’s case involving Title IX claims. The remaining cases will now proceed to litigation.