The documentary on Dr. Richard Strauss, “Surviving Ohio State,” will premiere at Tribeca Monday afternoon. | Credit: Courtesy of HBO
This story contains mentions of rape, sexual abuse and suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which can be reached at (800) 656-4673 or via their online chat hotline.
“Surviving Ohio State” will make its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on Monday.
The documentary follows the sexual abuse scandal of Dr. Richard Strauss, a former Ohio State physician, who abused hundreds of students from 1978-98. Based on Jon Wertheim’s Sports Illustrated cover story, “Why Aren’t More People Talking About the Ohio State Sex Abuse Scandal,” the film is told by Ohio State student-athlete alumni and others who were victims of Strauss.
The documentary also dives into the investigation of the university and how college culture played a role in the scandal.
Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in New York City, hosting over 600 screenings and over 150,000 attendees yearly.
According to an article by The Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney and Grant Heslov announced in 2021 that they would produce the film under their production company, Smokehouse Pictures, with Sports Illustrated Studios and 101 Studios. HBO picked up the feature-length movie the following year, with Academy and Emmy-award-winning director Eva Orner set to direct.
The documentary will be available to stream on HBO Max on June 17. To watch the trailer, visit the link here.
Background
Dr. Richard Strauss was a former Ohio State physician responsible for 17 years of sexual abuse at the university. Despite reports made to university staff, his conduct was not revealed until a decade later, after he died by suicide in 2005.
These accusations started as early as 1979, per prior Lantern reporting.
Strauss sexually abused at least 177 students throughout his employment with the university. After he was suspended due to an investigation in 1996, he remained a faculty member of Ohio State’s School of Public Health, per prior Lantern reporting. According to Sports Illustrated, around 1,429 instances of fondling and 47 instances of rape occured under Strauss.
Since 2018, survivors have sued the university despite the university challenging these survivors’ legal claims. There are still 235 survivors awaiting their first day in court, per prior Lantern reporting.
“Since 2018, Ohio State has reached settlement agreements with more than half of the plaintiffs, 296 survivors, for more than $60 million,” Ben Johnson, university spokesperson, said in a statement. “All male students who filed lawsuits have been offered the opportunity to settle. In addition, the university continues to cover the cost of professionally certified counseling services and other medical treatment, including reimbursement for counseling and treatment received in the past.”
Two survivors are set to enter the courtroom beginning October 2026, with another trial in April 2027, per prior Lantern reporting.
Ohio State has publicly taken accountability for Strauss’ abuse and has implemented reforms to prevent this from happening again. In 2019, the university created a Task Force on Sexual Abuse composed of faculty, staff and a Strauss survivor, per prior Lantern reporting.
To learn more about Dr. Richard Strauss and the litigation, visit The Lantern’s special project here. To learn about the timeline, changes and resources regarding the Strauss case, visit the university’s website here.
This article was updated Jun 9 at 2:21 p.m. to add a statement from Ben Johnson, university spokesperson.
