A fourth former wrestler for Ohio State University has said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, knew a team doctor was sexually abusing athletes decades ago, despite Jordan’s denial that he was aware of the misconduct while he was assistant wrestling coach.
Shawn Dailey told NBC News he was inappropriately touched half a dozen times by Dr. Richard Strauss in the mid-1990s, and even though he was too embarrassed to tell Jordan of the groping, the former assistant coach was part of conversations where the abuse of other teammates was openly discussed.
“I participated with Jimmy and the other wrestlers in locker-room talk about Strauss. We all did,” Dailey told NBC News, referring to Jordan. “It was very common knowledge in the locker room that if you went to Dr. Strauss for anything, you would have to pull your pants down.”
Dailey said it’s “kind of hurtful” that Jordan would deny knowing of the misconduct.
Three other wrestlers previously told NBC News that Strauss, who died of suicide in 2005, often showered with students and inappropriately touched them during appointments. One of the men said he directly reported the misconduct to Jordan.
Jordan said Wednesday he never turned a blind eye to the abuse because he wasn’t aware of it.
[Opinion: Jim Jordan denies turning a blind eye to sexual abuse: ‘I never heard of abuse, plain and simple’]
“We knew of no abuse, never heard of abuse. If we had, we would have reported it,” Jordan told reporters. “And if, in fact, there’s problems, we want justice for the people who were victims obviously.”
“As I said, we’re happy to talk with the folks who are doing the investigation. But nothing — I mean, things they said about me just were flat out not true,” he continued.
President Trump said Thursday he believes Jordan “100 percent.”