A court reviewer says Ohio State University violated state public records law by intentionally withholding old documents from one of the men alleging decades-old sexual misconduct by a school doctor.
Alumnus Steve Snyder-Hill requested records in 2018 related to his having complained about being abused by Dr. Richard Strauss in the mid-1990s.
The school said it would respond as quickly as possible but withheld the records for months, until the release of a law firm investigation confirming years of abuse by the deceased doctor.
The university says it was concerned that sharing information piecemeal would “create a chilling effect” and compromise the investigation.
Ohio State reached a $41 million settlement in May with 162 plaintiffs who sued the school over abuse they suffered at the hands of Strauss.
The former team doctor worked at the school from 1978-1998, and died by apparent suicide in 2005. An independent investigation found credible evidence that Strauss used his position of authority to prey on young men throughout his tenure.
