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30 former Ohio State football players joining sexual abuse lawsuit against school

Nypost · · 371 words · By Thomas Gamba-Ellis
Institutional accountability Sexual Abuse Allegations legal settlements
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What to know about Institutional accountability

Multiple former Ohio State football players agreed to join a federal lawsuit against the school over alleged sexual abuse by a team doctor, a lawyer in the case told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Multiple former Ohio State football players agreed to join a federal lawsuit against the school over alleged sexual abuse by a team doctor, a lawyer in the case told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Why it matters

The lawyer said 30 former players — including some who played in the NFL — came forward with their allegations roughly eight years after the first lawsuit was filed due to the fear of publicly taking on the university, along with the shame of revealing they…

Common ground

The players are “tearful and living with it,” lawyer Rocky Ratliff said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/sports/former-ohio-state-football-players-joining-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
verified Verified 2
info Single Source 2
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Claim 1: “Washington, who was a member of the Buckeyes’ 1980 Rose Bowl team alongside Ellis and Ferguson”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Al Washington, Ray Ellis, and Keith Ferguson were members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team.
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web search NEUTRAL — They are Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson, he said. All were members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team and were recruited by and played for legendary coach Woody Hayes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/college-sports/ex-ohio-stat…
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web search NEUTRAL — Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson -- all members of the 1980 Rose Bowl team -- are among those joining the legal action.
https://cwcolumbus.com/news/local/30-former-osu-football-pla…
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web search NEUTRAL — 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 th…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2026/05/07/ohi…
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Claim 2: “Ohio State has faced lawsuits from student athletes since 2018 over its failure to thwart abuse from Dr. Richard Strauss”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that Ohio State has faced lawsuits since 2018 regarding the failure to prevent abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss.
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web search NEUTRAL — Since 2018, Ohio State has faced lawsuits from former student-athletes regarding the university's failure to prevent abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked at the institution from 1978 until his ret…
https://www.msn.com/en-in/sports/nfl/former-ohio-state-footb…
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web search NEUTRAL — A judge has dismissed some of the biggest lawsuits against Ohio State University over sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss against student athletes.
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/22/1039899108/ohio-state-sex-abu…
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web search NEUTRAL — Since 2018, more than 520 former Ohio State students have filed lawsuits related to Strauss. The university has settled with 317 survivors for over $61 million, but at least five active lawsuits remai…
https://710wor.iheart.com/content/2026-05-07-former-nfl-play…
verified
Claim 3: “He [Dr. Richard Strauss] died in 2005”
VERIFIED
Multiple sources, including the university's own statement and SB Nation, confirm Dr. Richard Strauss died in 2005.
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web search NEUTRAL — In April 2018, the university announced an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Richard Strauss, who was employed by Ohio State from 1978 to 1998. Strauss died in 200…
https://president.osu.edu/story/strauss-investigation-report
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web search NEUTRAL — Strauss dies in 2005, and it was later ruled a suicide.Dr. Strauss’ exact dates of service in his role as a wrestling team physician are not precisely known at this time. The best available informatio…
https://www.sbnation.com/2018/7/16/17550082/ohio-state-wrest…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Richard Strauss worked at Ohio State University from 1978-1996, during which he's reported to have sexually abused more than 177 students.Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
https://www.wosu.org/news/2019-05-17/ohio-state-knew-about-s…
verified
Claim 4: “Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked at the university from 1978 to 1998”
VERIFIED
The official university message from President Drake confirms Dr. Richard Strauss was employed by Ohio State from 1978 to 1998.
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web search NEUTRAL — M Health Fairview Clinic – Eden Prairie is a conveniently located community clinic on Prairie Center Drive that offers comprehensive care for your entire family, through all stages of life.
https://www.mhealthfairview.org/locations/m-health-fairview-…
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 hour ago · Why did you become a family medicine doctor? I became a doctor to help patients navigate the complexities of the health care system and to work as an advocate for patients in helping them…
https://www.healthpartners.com/care/find/doctor/186686/
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Bushra Dar is a family medicine physician with 42 years of experience caring for patients of all ages. She provides comprehensive primary care services, focusing on preventive health, chronic...
https://doctor.webmd.com/doctor/bushra-dar-50dc1fb3-2527-417…
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Claim 5: “As of April 15, the university said it has settled with 317 survivors for over $61 million”
CORROBORATED
The claim is directly corroborated by the web search result 'Former NFL Players Join Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Ohio State...', which states the university has settled with 317 survivors for over $61 million.
info
Claim 6: “Washington was drafted by the Jets in 1981 and spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing for the Eagles and Browns after one year in New York”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia pages for the 1981 Jets season and NFL draft generalities; none of the provided snippets specifically confirm Al Washington's individual career path (Jets, Eagles, Browns) or his 1981 draft status.
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web search NEUTRAL — Pre-Draft Analysis. Mendoza spent three seasons at Cal before transferring to Indiana for his redshirt junior season. He led the Hoosiers to a national championship in 2025 and won the Heisman Trophy …
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/rounds
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web search NEUTRAL — 1981 season of NFL team New York Jets.After the 0–3 start, however, the Jets would catch fire, and go on a 10–2–1 run. The team ultimately finished the season with a record of 10–5–1 and qualified for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_New_York_Jets_season
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web search NEUTRAL — 2024 NFL Draft - Latest News, Mock Draft, Predictions and Player News.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/nfl-draft
info
Claim 7: “Just three out of the 30 former players have made their identities public: Al Washington, Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the names Al Washington, Ray Ellis, and Keith Ferguson are mentioned as plaintiffs in multiple sources, the specific claim that they are the ONLY three of the 30 to make their identities public is not explicitly corroborated across the provided evidence as a definitive limit.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Alabama’s Online Driver License Renewal is the easiest way for our citizens to renew their driver license without the hassle of waiting in line. Driver License Online Services
https://www.alabama.gov/
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web search NEUTRAL — Alabama (/ ˌæləˈbæmə / ⓘ, AL-ə-BAM-ə) [8] is a state in the Southeastern and Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama
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web search NEUTRAL — Get the latest Alabama news, sports, and breaking updates. View daily weather and top stories from Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and beyond on al.com.
https://www.al.com/
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Claim 8: “Multiple former Ohio State football players agreed to join a federal lawsuit against the school over alleged sexual abuse by a team doctor”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (AOL, NBC Washington, and others) confirm that former Ohio State football players joined a lawsuit regarding sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss.
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web search NEUTRAL — FORMER definition: 1. of or in an earlier time; before the present time or in the past: 2. the first of two people…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/former
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web search NEUTRAL — Definition of former adjective in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/ame…
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of FORMER is coming before in time. How to use former in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Former.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/former
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Claim 9: “30 former players — including some who played in the NFL — came forward with their allegations”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explicitly state that 30 former players, including those who played in the NFL, came forward with allegations.
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web search NEUTRAL — 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…
https://www.aol.com/articles/30-former-ohio-state-football-1…
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web search NEUTRAL — Thirty former Ohio State football players joined the class action lawsuit brought by other ex-students who say they were sexually abused decades ago.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/nfl-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Thirty former Ohio State University football players, including more than a dozen who later played in the NFL, have joined a class action lawsuit alleging decades-old sexual abuse by campus doctor Ric…
https://kfbk.iheart.com/content/2026-05-07-former-nfl-player…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.