30 former Ohio State football players join Richard Strauss abuse lawsuit
Thirty former Ohio State football players, including ex-captains and NFL vets, join a class-action over sexual abuse by ex-OSU doctor Richard Strauss.
Thirty former Ohio State University football players, including ex-team captains and NFL veterans, have come forward to join legal efforts against the university over sexual abuse by former OSU doctor Richard Strauss . The former players, who each said they were a survivor of abuse by Strauss, have committed to joining the class action lawsuit, according to attorney Rocky Ratliff. The new group of plaintiffs includes three members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team: Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson, all of whom played for coach Woody Hayes and went on to play some time in the NFL.
Other OSU athletes have come forward before, but these new, high-profile plaintiffs could bring increased visibility to survivors. Related news: Ohio State settles with more than a dozen Strauss survivors Ellis, a native of Canton, was a team captain and played defensive back for seven years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. Ferguson was a team captain for the Buckeyes and played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.
Washington’s 345 career tackles at Ohio State are eighth on the all-time list, just behind James Laurinaitis, the Buckeyes’ current linebackers coach and a College Football Hall of Fame inductee this year. Washington's son, Al Washington Jr. , was the Buckeyes linebacker coach from 2019 to 2021 and is currently the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Washington said in a media release that he did not initially come forward due to the shame associated with male-on-male sexual abuse and the fear of retaliation from the university. Washington said the group stands in solidarity as former teammates who love the university and Hayes, who taught them to use their voices to pay it forward. “Using our voices to pay forward in this situation is not easy, but we believe it is necessary to protect future athletes and to ensure accountability for what happened to us," Washington said.