COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge has partly unpaused litigation against The Ohio State University over decades-old sexual abuse by a team doctor, while noting mediation toward possible settlements should continue as the lawsuits proceed.
More than 350 men sued the school for failing to stop Richard Strauss during the late doctor’s tenure, but much of the legal action was paused as the cases were in mediation.
Last month, Ohio State announced an unspecified settlement with nearly half the men. Details weren’t disclosed.
An independent investigation launched by the university determined Strauss abused students for more than 20 years.
Other accusers wanted Judge Michael Watson to let them resume litigation. Watson’s order says the mediator recently notified him that parallel mediation and litigation efforts are warranted.
An independent investigation found Ohio State University did not do enough to stop the abuse. The investigation, launched by OSU, did not start until 2018 when an abuse survivor came forward.
Strauss died in 2005.