Ohio State Reaches $100 Million Deal With 279 Strauss Abuse Survivors
Ohio State University's Board of Trustees approved a preliminary $100 million settlement with 279 survivors of abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, resolving a major portion of the remaining litigation.[1]
The settlement would resolve federal lawsuits filed since 2018 by survivors who say the university failed to stop Strauss's abuse between 1978 and 1998.[1] The deal covers 279 of the 280 remaining plaintiffs in those suits.[1] Ohio State has already paid more than $61 million to 317 other survivors, so total payouts could reach about $160 million once the new agreement is finalized.[1]
An independent investigation found that scores of Ohio State personnel knew about complaints involving Strauss as early as 1979 but did not investigate or take meaningful action for years.[1] Those findings and the lawsuits prompted survivors to seek damages and institutional accountability through federal court beginning in 2018.
The trustees' approval is preliminary and the settlement must still be finalized through the legal process.[1] One remaining survivor was not part of the agreement announced Wednesday.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Ohio State's Board of Trustees approved a preliminary $100 million settlement with 279 of 280 remaining Strauss survivors in pending litigation.
- The settlement would resolve federal lawsuits brought since 2018 alleging Ohio State failed to stop sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss between 1978 and 1998.
- Ohio State has already paid more than $61 million to 317 other survivors, so total payouts could reach roughly $160 million once this agreement is finalized.
- An independent investigation previously concluded that scores of Ohio State personnel knew of complaints about Strauss as early as 1979 but did not investigate or take meaningful action for years.
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