Full court won't rehear appeals over Ohio State sex abuse
An appeals court panel's decision that revived unsettled federal lawsuits against Ohio State University over decades-old sexual abuse by a team doctor won't be reconsidered by the full court
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An appeals court panel’s decision that revived unsettled federal lawsuits against Ohio State University over decades-old sexual abuse by a team doctor won’t be reconsidered by the full court.
That decision Wednesday by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marks another step forward for plaintiffs who have argued that their unsettled cases should proceed.
A judge had dismissed most of those unsettled cases, saying it’s clear that the late Richard Strauss abused hundreds of young men but that the legal time limit for claims had long passed. Some of those survivors argued that the clock on the claims didn’t start until allegations became public in 2018 because they didn't have reason before then to believe the university had enabled or covered up his behavior.
A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit agreed and reversed the judge's decision in September. The school then asked the full court to rehear the matter, and several other universities echoed that request.
