Leslie Wexner was ordered to sit for deposition in the Strauss-related case by a court order filed on Wednesday. Credit: Courtesy of TNS
Les Wexner must sit for a deposition for a class-action lawsuit about Ohio State’s handling of the sexual abuse of Dr. Richard Strauss.
In an order filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District, Judge Michael Watson denied a motion to quash a subpoena that was filed by Wexner’s attorneys last month. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs adequately demonstrated the relevance of Wexner’s testimony, the document said.
Wexner must appear for the deposition within 60 days, according to the order.
Wexner is a chairman of the Wexner Medical Center Board and founder of L Brands. He was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1988-97, overlapping with Strauss’ tenure.
Strauss, who died by suicide in 2005, sexually abused at least 177 students, mostly male athletes, while he was a physician at the university.
University officials were aware of the abuse as early as 1979, per prior Lantern reporting.
Wexner’s attorneys argued in the Jan. 27 motion that Wexner has no relevant knowledge of Strauss or his victims and he is being targeted over other Board of Trustees members because Wexner’s public-figure state would gain media attention.
The document said that Wexner is a relevant witness because during his Board of Trustee’s tenure, he was a vice chairman, chairman of the full board and a part of the board’s personnel committee. Wexner’s testimony could reveal what the board did to monitor Ohio State’s sexual harassment compliance. If he did not know about Strauss, it would disclose Ohio State’s “deliberate indifference” to the allegations against Strauss.
Those representing the survivors of Strauss have attempted to serve a subpoena to Wexner five times. On Jan. 12, Watson allowed them to attempt an alternative way to serve that last subpoena, which Wexner’s attorneys attempted to quash, per prior Lantern reporting.
Wexner was also subpoenaed by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight Reform for his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He is scheduled to testify before Congress on Feb. 18.
