Before Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio entered the world of politics, he was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University from 1987-1995. During that time, he worked with Dr. Richard Strauss and allegedly was aware of the “open secret” that Strauss abused student-athletes on a regular basis. Thus far, 177 victims have come forward and Ohio State’s own report has identified 1,429 incidents involving Strauss, incidents that range from exposing his genitals to drugging and raping athletes in exam rooms.
One of those victims has long maintained he told Jordan directly about the abuse after the doctor tried to take his pants down while he was being seen for a thumb injury. And now, in a new lawsuit, another victim reports he too told Jordan directly about the abuse.
A professional referee says in a lawsuit filed Thursday that disgraced doctor Richard Strauss masturbated in front of him in a shower after a wrestling match at Ohio State University, and he reported the encounter directly to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who was then the assistant coach.
“Yeah, that’s Strauss,” Jordan and then-head coach Russ Hellickson replied, according to the lawsuit, when the referee, identified in court papers as John Doe 42, told them about the incident. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Ohio, implies that Jordan's response to the incident, which the referee said happened in 1994, was essentially a shrug.
It’s incredible to believe Jordan hasn’t been forced to resign over credible allegations he covered for a sexual abuser during a time when he was an entrusted member of the Ohio State University Athletic staff, charged with caring for both collegiate student-athletes and teenage athletes visiting for camps and competitions. He let those young men down and enabled the abuse many of them suffered under Richard Strauss, who took his own life in 2005, just before Jordan entered Congress in 2006.
It was little more than a week ago when Rep. Katie Hill resigned over allegations of sexual misconduct and yet, Jim Jordan is still there, still a powerful, high-ranking Republican doing Donald Trump’s bidding in Congress—primarily obstructing investigations and delaying justice. In truth, it’s a role Jim Jordan seems to have played for a long, long time.
