Republican Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a court motion on behalf of Ohio State University seeking to dismiss claims tied to 77 plaintiffs in lawsuits connected to former university doctor Richard Strauss, who was accused of sexually abusing student-athletes and other students for years. The filing quickly drew backlash online, with critics accusing state officials and the university of attempting to avoid accountability in one of the largest abuse scandals linked to a U.S. college athletics program.
The controversy gained major traction after discussions spread across social media platforms, particularly Reddit. A post about the filing on Reddit’s r/Ohio community received several hundred upvotes and dozens of comments condemning the decision. Many users criticized Yost, while others turned the discussion into a broader political debate about how institutions handle sexual abuse allegations.
According to TiffinOhio, the Republican Attorney General argued that allegations tied to abuse before Oct. 21, 1986 should not move forward because federal law at the time shielded public universities like Ohio State University from these types of lawsuits. Later changes to federal law in 1986 gave survivors broader legal options and opened the door for claims against schools accused of failing to stop sexual abuse.
The filing affects people involved in three different lawsuits tied to Strauss. Court documents state that 43 plaintiffs could have their claims dismissed entirely because the alleged abuse allegedly occurred before the 1986 legal change. Another 34 plaintiffs could have parts of their claims removed if some alleged incidents happened before that date.
The filing also comes shortly after 30 former Ohio State football players joined a federal class-action lawsuit connected to Strauss’ alleged abuse. Some of the former players were members of the university’s 1980 Rose Bowl team and later went on to play in the NFL.
A university-commissioned investigation concluded that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 men between 1979 and 1996 while working with the university’s athletics department and student health center.
The university has already reached settlements with more than 300 survivors totaling over $61 million, according to statements released by the university. Earlier this year, the school reportedly agreed to another $1.8 million settlement involving 13 survivors.
Ohio Users Slam Yost Court Filing
Online reactions to the filing were overwhelmingly negative. “Of course, he’s trying to cover for his buddies. Jim Jordan is all over these cases,” one user wrote. Others described the motion as “disgraceful” and accused Yost of failing survivors of sexual abuse.
Many responses quickly became political, with commenters attacking Republicans and accusing the party of protecting sexual predators. Some users also argued that public reactions would have been very different if a Democrat had filed a similar motion.
Other commenters focused on the timing of the filing, noting that Yost recently announced plans to leave office. Several users questioned why the motion was being pursued now, while others argued the move would further damage Ohio’s reputation.
Some discussions also brought up Jim Jordan, who has repeatedly denied allegations that he knew about Strauss’ abuse during his time as an assistant wrestling coach. Critics accused political leaders and university officials of protecting powerful institutions instead of prioritizing survivors.
The backlash continued spreading online as users debated the filing and the university’s handling of the Strauss abuse lawsuits.
