U.S. Representative Jim Jordan is not a defendant in the Ohio State University sexual abuse lawsuits, but he has become one of the most scrutinized figures in the litigation because former wrestlers say he knew, as an assistant coach, about the abuse committed by team doctor Richard Strauss. Jordan has denied any knowledge since the allegations first surfaced in 2018, was deposed under oath for the first time in July 2025, and Ohio State has now agreed to settlements totaling roughly $161 million with survivors.
Why Jordan Is Tied to the Case
Jordan served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1986 to 1994 under head coach Russ Hellickson.1CBS Sports. Former Ohio State Wrestlers Say Rep. Jim Jordan Knew About Sexual Abuse Within the Program That period overlaps with Strauss’s tenure as a physician for the Athletic Department and Student Health Center, which ran from 1978 to 1998. An independent investigation by Perkins Coie, released in May 2019, concluded that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students, most often wrestlers, and that university personnel had been aware of complaints as early as 1979.2NPR. Ohio State Doctor Sexually Abused at Least 177 Male Students, Investigation Finds Subsequent litigation has pushed the number of people reporting abuse into the hundreds. Strauss died by suicide in 2005 and was never criminally charged.3The New York Times Athletic. Ohio State Settlement in Richard Strauss Sexual Abuse Case
Jordan is now chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He is a witness in the civil litigation, not a party, but his testimony matters because plaintiffs argue Ohio State’s athletic staff, Jordan included, knew what Strauss was doing and did nothing.
What Former Wrestlers Say Jordan Knew
At least four former wrestlers and a wrestling referee have publicly alleged that Jordan was aware of Strauss’s conduct. The accounts have grown more detailed through depositions, a 2025 HBO documentary, and public statements.
Referee Fred Feeney said he told Jordan and Hellickson that Strauss had masturbated beside him in a shower after a match. According to Feeney, Jordan replied: “It’s Strauss. You know what he does.” Former wrestler Dan Ritchie called Jordan’s denials “a flat out lie” and recalled Jordan saying, “If (Strauss) ever did that to me, I’d snap his neck like a stick of dry balsa wood.”4Ohio Capital Journal. In New Documentary, Former Ohio State Wrestlers Say U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan Knew About Strauss Abuse Former team captain Dunyasha Yetts said he spoke directly to Jordan about Strauss: “I was screaming at the top of my lungs about Strauss.”5ABC6 On Your Side. Former OSU Wrestlers Speak Out About Abuse From Dr. Richard Strauss
Rocky Ratliff, a former wrestler now representing several survivors as an attorney, said: “We believe very strongly, especially all the wrestlers that were there at the time, that Jim Jordan knew what was going on.”6ABC News. Rep. Jim Jordan Turned Blind Eye to Sex Abuse
Adam DiSabato, brother of whistleblower Mike DiSabato, testified before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee in 2020 that Jordan called him on July 4, 2018, the day after the scandal broke publicly. According to Adam DiSabato, Jordan was “crying” and “groveling” for about 30 minutes, “begging me to go against my brother.”7NBC Chicago. Brother of OSU Whistleblower Said Rep. Jim Jordan Asked for Support Amid Allegations
Jordan’s Denial and His 2025 Deposition
Jordan has consistently denied knowing anything about the abuse. In a July 2018 press gaggle he said: “There was no truth to the fact that I knew of any abuse. I’ve talked to other coaches, they didn’t know about any abuse. It’s just not accurate to say those things.”4Ohio Capital Journal. In New Documentary, Former Ohio State Wrestlers Say U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan Knew About Strauss Abuse His spokesperson, Russell Dye, has repeated: “Chairman Jordan never saw or heard of any abuse, and if he had, he would have dealt with it.”8NBC News. Former OSU Official Testified He Doesn’t Believe Rep. Jim Jordan’s Denials
Jordan’s office initially told the university he would cooperate with the Perkins Coie investigation, but Ohio State’s legal counsel later said he had not responded to interview requests by email or phone.9NBC News. Powerful GOP Rep. Jim Jordan Accused of Turning Blind Eye to Sexual Abuse He also declined to be interviewed for the June 2025 HBO documentary Surviving Ohio State, produced by George Clooney.4Ohio Capital Journal. In New Documentary, Former Ohio State Wrestlers Say U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan Knew About Strauss Abuse
On July 18, 2025, Jordan was deposed for the first time under oath about the matter, in the federal litigation.10WOSU. Republican Jim Jordan Deposed in Federal Suit Tied to Sex Abuse by Late Ohio State Team Doctor His office repeated his denial. As of mid-2026, the transcript of Jordan’s deposition remains sealed.11NBC4i. Rep. Jim Jordan Probably Knew of Strauss Sexual Abuse, Ex-Ohio State Leader Testifies
What Other Ohio State Officials Testified
In May 2026, the Southern District of Ohio unsealed depositions from several former Ohio State officials whose sworn accounts contradict Jordan’s position. Andy Geiger, athletic director from 1994 to 2005, testified that Jordan’s claim of ignorance struck him as implausible. “For somebody who was part of the program, it doesn’t seem credible to me,” Geiger said, adding: “I don’t know for sure. But my opinion is that he probably knew.”8NBC News. Former OSU Official Testified He Doesn’t Believe Rep. Jim Jordan’s Denials Geiger testified that talk about Strauss was “active” among wrestlers and that complaints about the “showering situation” at Larkins Hall were “loud and clear.”11NBC4i. Rep. Jim Jordan Probably Knew of Strauss Sexual Abuse, Ex-Ohio State Leader Testifies
Dr. John Lombardo, medical director from 1990 to 2004, testified he learned in the early 1990s that Strauss was showering with athletes and ordered him to stop. Former university attorney Helen Ninos testified that she told top officials in the mid-1990s to “get rid of” Strauss after three complaints at Student Health.8NBC News. Former OSU Official Testified He Doesn’t Believe Rep. Jim Jordan’s Denials Head coach Hellickson testified that he had communicated concerns about Strauss to Geiger and to former football player Archie Griffin, then an associate athletic director.12The Lantern. New Strauss Depositions Reveal Former Ohio State Officials Dismissed Concerns as Rumors In a separate 2018 video, Hellickson said he had confronted Strauss for being “much too hands on” and had told “all of my administrators” about his discontent “on numerous occasions.”13CNN. Ohio State Sexual Abuse Allegations
Where the Lawsuits Stand
The litigation consists of consolidated Title IX lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The lead cases are Snyder-Hill v. The Ohio State University, filed July 26, 2018, and Moxley v. The Ohio State University, filed June 28, 2021. Plaintiffs allege the university was deliberately indifferent to Strauss’s abuse, that staff knew and covered it up, and that Ohio State destroyed relevant medical and personnel records.14U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Snyder-Hill v. Ohio State University, Nos. 21-3981/3991 More than 500 survivors have filed lawsuits since 2018.15The Lantern. 30 Former Ohio State Football Players Join Strauss Lawsuit
The cases had a turbulent path. In September 2021, District Judge Michael H. Watson dismissed them on statute-of-limitations grounds, while writing that the plaintiffs’ claims “cry out for a remedy.”16The Lantern. Judge Dismisses Strauss Victims’ Lawsuits Against Ohio State On September 14, 2022, the Sixth Circuit reversed, applying the discovery rule and holding that survivors plausibly could not have known Ohio State’s role in enabling the abuse until the scandal became public in 2018.14U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Snyder-Hill v. Ohio State University, Nos. 21-3981/3991 The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Ohio State’s appeal on June 26, 2023.17Public Justice. Snyder-Hill et al. v. The Ohio State University
In April 2026, Judge Watson allowed plaintiffs to pursue economic damages beyond tuition, including lost earnings, earning capacity, and educational opportunities. That May, thirty former Ohio State football players joined the litigation, among them former NFL players Al Washington, Ray Ellis, and Keith Ferguson.18The Columbus Dispatch. Ohio State Football Players Join Richard Strauss Abuse Lawsuits
The $161 Million in Settlements
Ohio State has resolved the Strauss claims in stages. Between 2020 and early 2026, the university paid more than $61 million to 317 survivors across six agreements, averaging roughly $250,000 per survivor.19The Columbus Dispatch. Ohio State Board of Trustees Approves Richard Strauss Survivors Settlement Survivors and the HBO documentary have contrasted that figure with the far higher per-victim payouts in the Larry Nassar case at Michigan State.20The Lantern. Strauss Survivors Speak on Abuse: The Top Three Takeaways From Surviving Ohio State
On June 3, 2026, the Ohio State Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $100 million settlement in principle covering 279 of the 280 remaining survivors in pending litigation.19The Columbus Dispatch. Ohio State Board of Trustees Approves Richard Strauss Survivors Settlement The deal came out of a court-directed mediation overseen by Judge Layn Phillips.21NBC4i. Board of Trustees Resolution: Ratification in Principle A court-appointed special master is expected to interview survivors and determine individual awards. Judge Watson dismissed the case without prejudice the day before the trustees’ vote, clearing the way for the mediated resolution.22NBC4i. Years-Long Lawsuit Ends as Ohio State Enters $100M Settlement With Final Strauss Survivors Combined with earlier payouts, Ohio State’s total exposure in the Strauss matter exceeds $161 million.
The settlements do not resolve claims against Jordan personally, because he was never sued as an individual defendant. His exposure has been as a witness and a public figure whose credibility is contested in the record.
Political Consequences for Jordan
The scandal shadowed Jordan’s October 2023 bid for Speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Four former wrestlers who accused him of failing to protect them argued publicly that he was unfit for the role.23NBC News. Former OSU Wrestlers Say Jim Jordan Betrayed Them, Shouldn’t Be House Speaker Ratliff said none of the wrestlers he represented believed Jordan deserved the position.6ABC News. Rep. Jim Jordan Turned Blind Eye to Sex Abuse Jordan won the Republican nomination for speaker but did not win the speakership. He remains chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and represents Ohio’s 4th Congressional District, with a reelection race upcoming in 2026.