'everybody knew'
Rep. Jim Jordan again accused of ignoring sexual abuse claims against Ohio State doctor: 'Yeah, yeah, we know'
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is again facing accusations that he ignored warnings about an Ohio State University doctor who allegedly sexually abused nearly 200 students.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, a referee says he told Jordan, who was then the assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State, that Richard Strauss, the team's physician, masturbated in front of him in a shower. The anonymous referee says Jordan and then-head coach Russ Hellickson responded, "Yeah, that's Strauss," and "yeah, yeah, we know," NBC News reports.
An independent investigation concluded in May 2019 that Strauss "sexually abused at least 177 male student-patients" and that it appeared to students "that their coaches, trainers and other team physicians were fully aware of Strauss' activities, and yet few seemed inclined to do anything to stop it." Jordan has been accused of being aware of the allegations and taking no action, with former Ohio State wrestler Dunyasha Yetts previously saying he told Jordan that Strauss tried to pull down his pants.
"I wish Jim, and Russ, too, would stand up and do the right thing and admit they knew what Strauss was doing, because everybody knew what he was doing to the wrestlers," the referee told NBC News.
Jordan has previously denied ignoring complaints about Strauss, telling Politico in 2018, "I never knew about any type of abuse. If I did, I would have done something about it."