Saying that Ohio State University failed the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of a doctor for sports teams and “today, legal system also fails [the] Plaintiffs,” a federal judge on Wednesday dismissed dozens of lawsuits against the university because the statute of limitations for the claims has expired, the Associated Press reports.
Ohio State has settled hundreds of cases brought by the male victims of sexual assault by now-deceased team doctor Richard Strauss when he was affiliated with the school from 1979 to 2018. The allegations against Strauss have led to claims that Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, an assistant coach for the school’s wrestling team from 1987 to 1995, knew about the abuse and ignored the plight of the students.
“For decades, many at Ohio State tasked with protecting and training students and young athletes instead turned a blind eye to Strauss’s exploitation,” U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson wrote in one ruling. “From 1979 to 2018, Ohio State utterly failed these victims. Plaintiffs beseech this Court to hold Ohio State accountable, but today, the legal system also fails Plaintiffs.”
Watson went on to say that the court was in no way debating the validity of the claims of the victims, but that the statutes are clear about the ability to file claims against those whose misprision enabled the crimes.