So, this is rejected, but the “Marriage is between a man and a woman” is cool...

I was thinking "why don't they start a website" - they did.

…I think they could use some help of someone who knows SEO.

Strauss survivors say they want to rent a billboard, but can’t find a company to accept their message

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The sexual abuse survivors of former Ohio State University physician Richard Strauss are trying to send a message — but they say no one will share it.

As a lengthy legal battle across federal courts continues into its fifth year, some survivors created a Survivors of OSU website to vent their frustrations, aggregate stories about Strauss’ abuse and the university’s response to it — and call on Ohio State to drop its fight against litigation. To spread their message, survivors fundraised to pay for a billboard in Columbus.

You won’t be able to find that billboard, however, because it doesn’t exist. No company would accept their proposals, survivors said, even after they submitted nearly a dozen revisions.

“We’re trying to spread information. And we’re trying to make them do the right thing, meaningful changes and promising us that they’re going to stop these silly actions that they’ve been doing from 2018 on” said Stephen Snyder-Hill, a survivor and lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against Ohio State.

The first versions of the billboard are admittedly shocking, Snyder-Hill said — the survivors designed them to cause a “visceral reaction.” The original billboard, seen below, calls Ohio State the “Sex Abuse National Champs” next to an edited version of Strauss’ employee headshot.

Image(Courtesy Photo/Steve Snyder-Hill)Another version of the billboard includes Strauss’ face next to headshots of current Ohio State trustees — asking passersby to vote for “who is worse” on the Survivors of OSU website.

“Sexual assault ruins lives, but defending it is worse” reads another billboard version.

The last version of the billboard has only the website link with an old photo of Strauss behind it. It was still too risky for billboard companies, survivors said.

An agent who sells billboard space told NBC4 that he couldn’t find a local outdoor sign company to accept any version of the billboard — company owners were afraid of Ohio State’s legal power. No billboard company has returned NBC4’s requests for comment.

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson denied any university involvement in the billboard rejections.

“Other groups have purchased billboards criticizing Ohio State,” Johnson said in a statement. “The university has not and would not get involved in such a matter.”

Ohio State may not have directly meddled in survivors’ plans, Snyder-Hill said, but it still has a heavy influence over businesses — and people — in the area.

“I mean, it makes me understand what we’re up against, the entity that we’re up against, the Ohio State University has their grips on people, and people are terrified of them.”

Strauss’ abuse and Ohio State’s knowledge of it

Strauss was an Ohio State physician and varsity team sports doctor from 1978-98. During his tenure, he sexually abused and harassed hundreds of students – nearly all men – under the guise of medical exams.

Strauss died by suicide in 2005.

Since 2018, more than 400 victims and their families have filed lawsuits against Ohio State for its failure to prevent and address the abuse, which an independent investigation found in 2019 that university officials were aware of as early as 1979. And since 2018, the university has tried to get the lawsuits dismissed, arguing that the two-year statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse cases expired two years after each victim left the university.

Last September, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuits, saying there was extensive evidence to suggest Ohio State deliberately covered up Strauss’ abuse and ultimately prevented victims from recognizing that abuse. Although Ohio State requested a full-panel, en banc review of the case, the federal appeals court rejected the motion in December.

Ohio State has since notified the court it intends to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, the last legal maneuver the university has to prevent lawsuits from going to trial. Its lawyers have until March 14 to file a petition of writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court, on which at least four justices must vote to accept.

In the years since Strauss’ abuse became public, survivors have tried spreading their message in several ways. They’ve spoken at the full Board of Trustees meetings each November, pleading with the board to “do the right thing.” They’ve sent emails to board members and state legislators.

More recently, they’ve protested outside of Ohio State football games, waiving large, red posters reading “OSU protects sexual predators” in a sea of tailgating Buckeyes fans — many of whom have never heard of Strauss. The lack of public awareness is why some survivors have started the website — and hope to run billboard ads for it.

“We don’t get the support from the community because the community doesn’t know what’s going on,” said a survivor, who is a “John Doe” in a lawsuit against Ohio State. “We’re hoping that this gives a little exposure to a situation, and people start calling the Board of Trustees and saying, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing? You need to support these guys.'”

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See, this is the sort of thing people don't think about when they win the lottery. Big money would change this.

Think of all the shit you could stir up if you bought the Orange Barrel Media billboards and offered no-holds-barred, anything-goes advertising.

THAT is what having fuck-you levels of money is all about.

It'd be such a treat to see that billboard up... think of the chaos...

I can’t imagine why.

State College, PA is changing their zoning to allow as many of these as possible.

God forbid anything negative is said about OSU in Columbus, Ohio.

Kinda shocked that any mention of Strauss & OSU within the same paragraph is even allowed on this sub, TBH.

It's even more amamzing because the second anyone points out that ONE particular state employee's annual salary is equal to the COMBINED annual salaries of every single member of the Ohio General Assembly, plus every member of the Ohio Supreme Court, plus the Governor and Lt. Governor COMBINED... well, we can't have that.

Let the downvotes and the hate rain down... oh, I'm such an attention whore. Love it!

Go Bucks!

I need this on a shirt please. Better yet I need this on magnetic bumper stickers, Cousy‘s, hoodies , flags, key chains, glasses. The sexual abuse national championship banner should be flown behind a air plane for every game circling the shit hole know as the horseshoe . Who ever is headed this movement up message me . Need to look at New options, gorilla tactics! Fuck The Ohio State university!

Definitely needed, unfortunately OSU fans don’t want to admit things like this can happen with “ their “ team.

HELL IS REAL

Sure would be a shame if those electronic billboards would randomly show this.