‘Surviving Ohio State’ is troublesome to observe, however the survivors deserve for us to bear witness

Content material warning: This story, and the ‘Surviving Ohio State’ documentary, include references to and descriptions of sexual abuse and assault that could be disturbing for readers and viewers.

I’ve lived within the Atlanta metro space for nearly 20 years, however I’m an Ohio State fan, born and bred. I realized the phrases to Carmen Ohio across the time I realized to speak. After I was a child, I used to be allowed to say the phrase “rattling,” however provided that I used to be proclaiming that I don’t give a rattling about the entire state of Michigan. Earlier than my daughters may pronounce the phrases “Go Bucks,” they have been yelling “Doh Butts” each Saturday within the fall, which is shut sufficient whenever you’re indoctrinating your toddlers along with your sports activities fandom.

However one aspect impact of working on this area is: The should be goal tends to empty the homerism out of you. I nonetheless love the Ohio State Buckeyes. I yell “O-H” at each stranger I see carrying an Ohio State shirt, irrespective of the place I’m, and I like getting that “I-O” again — it looks like dwelling. Watching the Buckeyes roll by the postseason to win the primary NCAA soccer Nationwide Championship of the expanded School Soccer Playoff period was a balm for my soul proper after my dad handed away in January.

However over the course of my profession I’ve realized to steadiness the thrill of sports activities towards the problems which are bigger than sports activities. In terms of the Buckeyes, the largest situation for me for the previous few years has been absolutely the rage I’m experiencing over the abuse endured by Ohio State athletes from Dr. Richard Strauss, and the college and public’s response to it.

HBO launched a documentary Tuesday referred to as ‘Surviving Ohio State’, and it’s a must-watch, regardless that it’s removed from a simple watch.

Listed below are six issues it is advisable find out about ‘Surviving Ohio State’ and the encircling scandal.

Ohio State knew every thing, they usually lined it up

One facet of this story that the documentary lays naked is precisely what number of alternatives Ohio State needed to shield student-athletes, and what number of occasions they failed Strauss’s survivors.

When student-athletes obtained exams or remedy from Strauss, even when the problem was a separated shoulder for a wrestler or a minimize on a fencer’s ear, the examination would come with a genital examination. Some gamers hadn’t actually had physicals earlier than and didn’t know what to anticipate. Others had a sense that it was mistaken, however feared difficult Strauss — extensively revered in his area and at Ohio State College — would jeopardize their scholarships or skill to take part of their respective sports activities. When athletes did point out being uncomfortable with Strauss and his strategy to authority figures like then-wrestling coach Russ Hellickson and assistant-coach-turned-Congressman Jim Jordan, the overall response was mainly a shrug — as a result of it wasn’t a shock to them.

When complaints have been made, no one requested the student-athletes about them. No person talked to the coaches or the trainers. There was no effort made to guard student-athletes. Interval.

And plainly Strauss, famend for his experience on anabolic steroids, could have been juicing athletes with out their express data, understanding or approval, giving him one other layer of energy over these college students. It’s exhausting for survivors to talk up; it’s even tougher to problem the conduct of a predator able of authority and energy when that particular person actually holds your athletic eligibility of their arms.

As a substitute of taking this significantly and eradicating Strauss from a place of energy over these athletes, the College allowed him to additionally apply on the pupil well being heart, the place he may prey on college students who weren’t athletes, too. Ohio State’s personal investigation uncovered 177 male college students who’re survivors of Strauss, and it decided the College was conscious of what Strauss was doing and did completely nothing to cease it, which allowed the overall variety of survivors to achieve a staggering 2,800.

From the report:

Ohio State condemns Strauss’ reprehensible conduct and the college’s failure on the time to stop the abuse. Ohio State has expressed and continues to specific remorse and honest apologies to every particular person impacted by Strauss’ abuse and thanks the survivors for courageously bringing Strauss’ abuse to gentle.

And regardless of Ohio State acknowledging the college’s failures right here, they pushed for the survivors’ lawsuit to be dropped based mostly on the statute of limitations. The court docket dominated towards that, so the civil swimsuit continues.

Some survivors have settled, and lots of have a Most Favored Nations clause of their settlement agreements that ensures if different survivors obtain the next settlement, the college should pay the survivors with that clause the distinction between their preliminary settlement and the upper settlement quantity obtained by different survivors. That’s why persevering with to push for a good settlement from the college is so vital, along with developing with an quantity that’s truly a deterrent to stop Ohio State from turning a blind eye to abuse ever once more.

Fencing coach Charlotte Reminyik was the exception

Reminyik, who was a Hungarian-born fencing champion, turned Ohio State’s girls’s fencing coach in 1978 and later took on the lads’s head teaching function too. She tried for a few decade to get the college to do one thing concerning the abuse Strauss was inflicting on student-athletes.

Male fencers had approached her about inappropriate conduct and exams from Strauss, and he or she did the precise factor and reported it — solely to be instructed that it was rumour, they usually wanted proof to take motion. Pupil-athletes had quite a lot of causes to not need to come ahead — not the least of which was the concern of shedding their scholarships — however that didn’t cease Reminyik from persevering with to escalate these studies to the Athletic Administrators frequently.

John Lombardo, who was the medical director of the OSU Sports activities Medication Middle and head crew doctor and medical director for the OSU Athletic Division, mentioned Reminyik’s ongoing pursuit of penalties for Strauss amounted to 10 years of complaints “with no basis.” He shared underneath oath throughout a deposition that he did have a accountability to maintain student-athletes secure. He didn’t try this. No person at Ohio State did.

It wasn’t simply wrestlers who survived Strauss’ abuse

As I discussed beforehand, not solely did Ohio State fail to cease Strauss, they promoted him and let him see sufferers at Ohio State’s pupil well being heart. Stephen Snyder-Hill went to the well being heart to get a lump on his chest checked out, and in the course of the examination, Strauss exhibited extraordinarily inappropriate sexual conduct. Snyder-Hill reported it — since he wasn’t a student-athlete, Strauss didn’t have the identical energy over him.

There was a gathering with Pupil Providers, Snyder-Hill and Strauss, through which Strauss dramatically denied the allegations and gaslit Snyder-Hill into questioning his reminiscence of his personal expertise. Snyder-Hill agreed to drop the grievance if there weren’t another related complaints about Strauss. In fact there have been, however Pupil Providers lied to Snyder-Hill about it. He requested for written affirmation, and regardless that they appeared to balk at first, the college did give it to him — etching that lie into historical past. In the meantime, Strauss was by no means reported to the medical board, however Strauss did report Dr. Ted Grace, who was then the Director of Pupil Well being Providers at Ohio State, to the medical board for questioning whether or not or not Strauss was abusing sufferers.

Strauss had lockers in numerous sports activities’ locker rooms, and labored with athletes from quite a lot of sports activities, together with hockey. Former OSU hockey participant Al Novakowski, who participated within the documentary, was assaulted by Strauss as a student-athlete, and the emotional and psychological well being affect on him led to him being kicked off the crew. He additionally was drugged and sexually assaulted by Strauss after going to the scholar well being heart and being handled by him as soon as once more.

Wrestling official Frederick Feeney shared within the documentary that he, too, is a survivor of Strauss’s sexual assault and harassment. After officiating a match, Feeney went to the locker room to bathe earlier than leaving, and Strauss was, as soon as once more, extraordinarily sexually inappropriate, following Feeney to the bathe, taking the bathe instantly subsequent to Feeney in an in any other case empty room, after which masturbating and inappropriately touching Feeney. When Feeney spoke to wrestling coaches Hellickson and Jordan, they merely mentioned, “It’s Strauss,” and shrugged it off.

Strauss had zero regret

Strauss died by suicide in 2005. Lest you assume this was a results of a responsible conscience, Strauss’ cause was ache that was not effectively managed by treatment and was not in keeping with the standard of life he needed.

I don’t know if Strauss being remorseful would have made a distinction for the survivors, however his lack of regret is frankly disgusting, and in my view, speaks to what an unrepentant predator he was.

Survivors aren’t outlined by the abuse they endured

The boys who’ve been brave sufficient to face up for themselves and share their reality concerning the abuse they suffered at Ohio State have been on the mistaken finish of some horrible hate for coming ahead. These males have been groomed, they have been preyed upon, they trusted a person and an establishment they need to have been in a position to belief, and they’re the victims of crimes. What was accomplished to them doesn’t outline them.

I requested Mike DiSabato, the unique whistleblower, what he needed to find out about him as a person, as an individual outdoors of his push for justice for himself and the opposite survivors.

“I need them to know that I’ll by no means take a knee,” he mentioned. “I’ll by no means take a knee to evil and injustice ever. Ever.”

DiSabato additionally shared an announcement with SB Nation that he posted on his Fb web page when the documentary was launched.

The picture, and the picture credit score, are particularly poignant to me for 2 causes: One, these males have been boys when this abuse was inflicted upon them. Males’s frontal lobes don’t even totally develop till they’re of their mid-20s.

And two, the truth that their abuser took this picture illustrates how Strauss labored to groom these younger males. He handled them like they have been particular to him. He flattered them. He did every thing he may to earn their belief and prey upon them. They didn’t have any specialised medical data. They’d no technique to know if what Strauss was doing throughout exams had a professional medical objective. Sexual abuse is about management, and Strauss was able to use that. He pulled out all of the stops to govern these males, and the college enabled him. It’s his fault, and it’s the college’s fault for enabling it. It isn’t the fault of the survivors and it doesn’t outline who they’re.

The survivors must be permitted to hunt damages for emotional misery

Rocky Ratliff, an Ohio State wrestling alumnus, a good friend from my hometown of Marion, Oh., and one of many survivors, shared on his private Fb that the court docket dominated on Wednesday the survivors can’t search emotional damages.

As you watch the documentary, as you see the anguish these males nonetheless expertise once they discuss concerning the abuse they’ve endured, as you watch Ratliff clarify that the group of survivors has a excessive divorce price, many survivors have skilled suicidal ideation, and alcohol use as self-medication is prevalent — ask your self if the abuse these males suffered by the hands of Strauss brought about any emotional misery. The reply is apparent.

Not solely did the college they love — the college I additionally love — fail them. However for the wrestlers, the coaches they revered and noticed as household, Russ Hellickson and Jim Jordan failed them too with their cowardice. Hellickson was encouraging once they first got here ahead, however Jordan pretend newsed the entire thing from soar and even tried to get survivor Mike DiSabato’s brother, Adam, to publicly assist Jordan over the survivors, and Hellickson ghosted survivors after assembly together with his former wrestlers and promising his assist. That, on prime of the affect of the abuse, was traumatic. Due to their braveness in coming ahead, these survivors have been subjected to disbelief and limitless sufferer blaming, to not point out homophobia. In fact there’s a long-lasting emotional affect, and they need to be compensated for that.

Despite the fact that Ohio State has admitted accountability and acknowledged its failure to guard these college students, the settlement provide from the college was insulting, particularly within the context of latest settlements for sexual assault and abuse instances at Michigan State (Larry Nassar) and Penn State College (Jerry Sandusky). Michigan State settled with about $1.2 million per survivor, and Penn State settled with $1.5 million per survivor. Ohio State’s $41 million settlement pot averages out to about $250,000 per survivor. And a situation of the settlement would have basically been absolving Ohio State of any guilt or accountability.

It’s not concerning the amount of cash a lot because it’s about ensuring this by no means occurs once more. Ohio State promised to do proper by these survivors, and it hasn’t. The athletic division introduced in over $250 million in income in 2024 and $293 million in 2023. I’d anticipate income to be notably sturdy this yr given the Buckeyes’ soccer Nationwide Championship win. There isn’t any residing perpetrator to carry accountable for these crimes, so the college should be accountable. A $250,000 settlement for the abuse they endured and the decades-long affect it’s had on their lives is chump change. These survivors deserve higher.

“I bleed scarlet and grey,” survivor Mike Schyck says within the documentary. “However we have been let down by this college.”

And that’s my major takeaway from Surviving Ohio State. The survivors have been let down by Ohio State. They deserved to be protected by the college. They deserved to be believed once they raised considerations and reported Strauss’ conduct. They deserved to be supported by the college. And since none of that occurred, now they deserve accountability from Ohio State. A good settlement is the closest factor to justice obtainable to the survivors with Strauss lifeless now for 20 years.

It doesn’t matter what occurs with the continued lawsuit, no matter how terribly Ohio State and so many individuals in positions of authority dealt with this example, the braveness of those survivors will assist shield different folks from related abuse. I sincerely hope that standing of their reality brings all of those survivors some peace.

‘Surviving Ohio State’ premiered Tuesday, June 17 at 9 p.m. and is accessible for streaming on HBO MAX.