Former Assistant Ohio State Wrestling Coach, current U.S. Congressman, and Speaker of the House wannabe, Jim Jordan is up to his eyeballs in the Ohio State sex scandal involving Dr. Richard Strauss, former OSU athletic teams doctor. Jordan allegedly failed to report the widespread depravity and sexual abuse of Dr. Strauss.
Over the weekend, I obtained copies of two civil complaints filed against The Ohio State University. Both lawsuits were filed in Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
The first case, a class action lawsuit, lists four “John Doe” Plaintiffs and is 23 pages long. The second case, a multi-plaintiff lawsuit, lists three “named” Plaintiffs, along with seven “John Doe” Plaintiffs and is 49 pages long.
So, the two complaints have a total of 14 plaintiffs who, in essence, provided 72 pages of sexual abuse allegations against Dr. Strauss and failure to report allegations against the coaches and administrative staff of OSU who knew of, or should have known of, the abuse and failed to stop it.
Here’s my take on all this. As a retired appellate court judge, I am used to reading massive amounts of legal material—most of which would put anyone to sleep. These complaints, however, not only kept me riveted, they evoked both shock and rage. In fact, I ended up emotionally dazed, staring at the complaints for several minutes after I finished reviewing them. I was stunned by the enormity of Dr. Strauss’s alleged depravity and the total failure to report this wantonness. I was equally upset by the apparent immorality later displayed by Jim Jordan.
The key thing about the scandal is this: Dr. Strauss’s abuse permeated the entire spectrum of male athletics at OSU. The four John Doe’s in the class action suit were wrestlers. But, the ten plaintiffs in the individual lawsuit included athletes who participated in a variety of sports. This is consistent with a June 7, 2018, announcement from Ohio State stating that 15 athletic teams suffered sexual abuse from Dr. Strauss; those being: baseball, cheerleading, cross country, fencing, football, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.
One complaint alleges that Dr. Strauss’s inappropriate touching was such common knowledge “coaching staff, trainers, and student-athletes knew him as Dr. Jelly Paws, Dr. Nuts, Dr. Soft Hands, and Dr. Cough—names that reflect his sexual predation.” It is further alleged that a tennis coach threatened student-athletes that they would have to see Dr. Strauss, if they did not do what the coach wanted—then laughed about it.
Ground zero for deviant behavior was Larkins Hall. Larkins Hall is where the wrestlers were, as well as the showers and sauna. The class-action lawsuit specifically references Jim Jordan in a July 6, 2018 POLITICO article entitled, “A cesspool of deviancy: New claims of voyeurism test Jordan denials.” In that report, a former wrestling coach who worked with Jordan stated: “Coaching my athletes at Larkins Hall was one of the most difficult things I ever did. It was a cesspool of deviancy.”
More than half-dozen former Ohio State wrestlers said Jordan knew of the inappropriate behavior by Dr. Strauss but did not report it. It gets worse for Jordan, as Jordan’s locker was apparently right next to Strauss’s locker. One wrestler stated that Jordan knew of the abuse unless he got “dementia or something.”
H-m-m! To my way of thinking, Jordan has never been the sharpest tool in the shed. So, maybe we’re on to something here. Nah! Jordan simply stupefies everyone with conduct that lacks any semblance of rationality and moral decency.
In July 19, 2018, Columbus Dispatch article, by Jennifer Smola, Jordan claims: “I knew of no abuse, Never heard of it. Never had any reported to me.” The article then cites a Fox News interview where Jordan found it “suspect” that these charges have emerged, as he is about to impeach Rod Rosenstein. Jordan said, “I mean, jeepers, the way it seemed to me was sequenced and choreographed.” Jordan previously claimed he is a victim of a liberal vendetta—but offered no evidence, according to the article.
What a slimeball. He just threw his former students, who were victims of Dr. Strauss’s depravity, under the bus. He accused them of making this all up because they must have sold out to the liberals.
Listen Jim Jordan! It’s not about you! It’s about a massive sexual abuse and deviancy scandal that hit OSU! Your former students are just a few of the victims! For decency’s sake, show them some respect! Don’t blame them for your failures!
But then, why should anyone be surprised. This is the same Jim Jordan, who endorsed Roy Moore in his Alabama Senate race, saying Moore will “always stand for the values and principles that made this nation great.” It’s the same Roy Moore who reportedly trolled the Alabama malls for young girls. And, it’s the same Jim Jordan who opposes the Violence Against Women Act and the same Jim Jordan who rushed, headfirst last week, to defend Judge Kavanaugh before Dr. Ford even testified.
The sad part of this story is the various lawsuits and the OSU investigations will not be completed in time for the upcoming midterms. That’s why Janet Garrett, a progressive Democrat, needs your help now in defeating this national embarrassment. Janet Garrett, unlike Jordan, has a moral compass. Janet will decide issues on their merit. She will put the country before political considerations.