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yesterday

30 Former Ohio State Football Players Join Strauss Sex-Abuse Lawsuit

The high-profile additions raise Ohio State’s legal exposure ahead of an October bellwether trial.

FILE - A person walks over the Ohio State University's emblem in the campus student union, May 18, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
The Ohio Stadium on The Ohio State University campus on July 21, 2021.
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A general view of Ohio Stadium before the game against the UCLA Bruins and the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 15, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH.

Overview

  • Thirty former Ohio State football players said Thursday they will join the Richard Strauss class action, including more than a dozen who later played in the NFL, and attorney Rocky Ratliff named Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson as the only players going public.
  • The men signed engagement letters to join the existing Gonzales class case, which is set for a bellwether trial in October 2026.
  • Plaintiffs this week moved to name 23 former officials as Title IX decision-makers, including four former athletic directors, a claim Ohio State disputes.
  • Ohio State says it has settled with 317 survivors for more than $61 million as of April 15, while five lawsuits representing 236 men remain active.
  • A 2019 independent report found at least 177 victims and years of inaction by coaches and administrators, and survivors say stigma kept many football players from coming forward until now.