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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Related news: Ohio State settles with more than a dozen Strauss survivors<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a> and played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n Ray Ellis, a former Ohio State football team captain who played defensive back for seven years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, is seen here in 2017 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ellis has joined former OSU athletes who say they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Dr. Richard Strauss.<\/p>\n Washington\u2019s 345 career tackles at Ohio State are eighth on the all-time list, just behind James Laurinaitis, the Buckeyes\u2019 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing 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. “We are committed to seeing this through \u2013 not only for ourselves, but for every survivor who has carried this burden in silence. We also feel a responsibility to defend the integrity of the program and Coach Hayes, who taught us about accountability, discipline, and doing what is right.\u201d<\/p>\n In response, Ohio State University spokesperson Ben Johnson released this statement on May 7:<\/p>\n “Since 2018, Ohio State has sincerely and persistently tried to reconcile with survivors, including former football student-athletes, through monetary and non-monetary means, including settlements, counseling services and other medical treatment. As of April 15, the university has settled with 317 survivors, including former football student-athletes, for more than $61 million, and we remain actively engaged in mediation.”<\/p>\n Ratliff, who is also a plaintiff suing over alleged Strauss abuse, said Ohio State continues to tout the number of settlements, but many victims are still suffering in silence.<\/p>\n “They have never put a single thought to how many are still out there,” Ratliff said. “There are so many people out there and they\u2019re not recognizing that at all.”<\/p>\n The additional plaintiffs came a little more than a week after federal Judge Michael Watson ruled that plaintiffs in the case could pursue economic damages beyond tuition costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Strauss worked at the university from 1978 to 1998 in the athletics department and in the student health center. During those two decades, he abused at least 177 male student patients, according to an independent investigation released by the university in 2019.<\/p>\n Investigators found university officials began receiving complaints and had knowledge of his misconduct as early as 1979, months after he arrived on campus. Survivors reported that Strauss fondled patients\u2019 genitals and conducted genital or rectal exams even when they were unnecessary.<\/p>\n Strauss died by suicide in 2005.<\/p>\n Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at\u00a0jlaird@dispatch.com<\/a>. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at\u00a0@LairdWrites<\/a>.<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State football players join Strauss abuse lawsuit<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Ray](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3b92bde743622914f9bf0c64a79bea6c.jpeg\"\/)
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