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Republican Congressman Jim Jordan was deposed under oath this month as part of a federal lawsuit brought by former Ohio State University (OSU) athletes who allege the university failed to stop decades of sexual abuse committed by team doctor Richard Strauss, ABC News reported Tuesday. The court filing, made public Monday, marks the first time Jordan has testified under oath in connection to the Strauss case.
Jordan, a 10-term congressman and current chair of the House Judiciary Committee, served as assistant wrestling coach at OSU from 1986 to 1994, overlapping with Strauss’s tenure at the university. Strauss, who died by suicide in 2005, is believed to have sexually abused hundreds of student-athletes between 1978 and 1998.
Several former OSU wrestlers have publicly alleged that Jordan was aware of Strauss’s abuse and did not intervene. Jordan has consistently denied those claims.
“Chairman Jordan never saw or heard of any abuse, and if he had, he would have dealt with it,” his office reiterated in a statement following the deposition. Jordan had previously participated in the university’s independent investigation into the matter, but Friday’s session marked his first formal deposition under oath.
The depositions of Jordan and others came just weeks after the release of the HBO documentary Surviving Ohio State, produced by George Clooney and directed by Eva Orner. The film brought renewed national attention to the decades-long abuse scandal and the alleged failures by university officials and staff to stop it.
In addition to Jordan, attorneys for the plaintiffs questioned two of the former student-athlete plaintiffs—identified in court records as Michael Murphy and John Doe 72—on July 9 and July 11, respectively. Former OSU Athletic Director Andy Geiger was also deposed on Wednesday.
The ongoing federal lawsuit represents one of several legal efforts by Strauss survivors to hold Ohio State University accountable for its failure to prevent or intervene in the abuse. To date, over 300 survivors have come forward with claims. The university has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements, but many survivors continue to pursue justice through the courts.
How Survivors Can Explore Their Legal Options
If you or someone you love was abused in an institutional setting, you may have legal options. Learn more about your rights here or if you’re ready, fill out the brief, confidential form below to see if your case qualifies for possible compensation.
