Ohio State University abuse scandal[edit]
Main article:
Ohio State University abuse scandal
Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach with
Ohio State University's
wrestling program from 1987 to 1995.
[11] Ohio State University began an independent investigation in April 2018
[12] into allegations of sexual misconduct against former wrestling team physician Richard Strauss; Strauss was the team physician during Jordan's tenure as assistant coach.
[13][14] Strauss died by suicide in 2005.
[15]
In June 2018, at least eight former wrestlers said that Jordan had been aware of, but did not respond to, allegations of sexual misconduct by Strauss.[16][17] Jordan's locker was next to Strauss's, and Jordan spent so much time in the locker room that he created and awarded a "King of the Sauna" certificate to the member of the team who spent the most time in the sauna "talking smack".
[18]
In July 2018, Jordan's congressional spokesman Ian Fury released a statement in which Ohio State wrestling coach
Russ Hellickson reportedly said: "At no time while Jim Jordan was a coach with me at Ohio State did either of us ignore abuse of our wrestlers. This is not the kind of man Jim is, and it is not the kind of coach that I was."
[19]
Former wrestling team members David Range,[17] Mike DiSabato and Dunyasha Yetts asserted that Jordan knew of Strauss's misconduct. Yetts said, "For God's sake, Strauss's locker was right next to Jordan's and Jordan even said he'd kill him if he tried anything with him".
[20] No wrestlers have accused Jordan of sexual misconduct, but four former wrestlers named him as a defendant in a lawsuit against the university.
[21][22][23] Several former wrestlers, including ex-UFC fighter
Mark Coleman, allege that Hellickson contacted two witnesses in an attempt to pressure them to support Jordan the day after they accused Jordan of turning a blind eye to the abuse.
[24][25]
Jordan has refused to cooperate with investigations into Strauss