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Rep. Jim Jordan, the far-right Ohio Republican who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is expected to testify under oath Friday as part of civil litigation filed by former Ohio State University student-athletes against the school over allegations of sexual abuse, NBC News reported.
In 2019, an independent report found that Dr. Richard Strauss — a team doctor for various athletic programs at OSU who died by suicide in 2005 — had committed nearly 1,500 acts of sexual assault during his 20-year tenure at the university, including nearly 50 instances of rape.
Several former OSU wrestlers have publicly claimed Jordan was aware of the abuse while serving as an assistant wrestling coach. Jordan, who coached at OSU from 1986 to 1994, has denied having any knowledge of the abuse.
NBC affiliate WCMH of Columbus, Ohio, first reported on Jordan’s expected testimony and said former OSU athletic director Andy Geiger was deposed on Wednesday. A Jordan spokesperson told NBC News in a statement: “As everyone knows, Chairman Jordan never saw or heard of any abuse, and if he had, he would have dealt with it.”
The allegations against Jordan are detailed in the new documentary “Surviving Ohio State,” in which former OSU wrestlers again accuse Jordan of knowing about their abuse. The film, which was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, is now streaming on HBO Max.