Perkins Coie, a well-known law firm, has been instructed by a US Magistrate Judge, Elizabeth Preston Deavers, to disclose information regarding certain witnesses connected to the sexual abuse allegations against a former Ohio State University doctor, Richard Strauss. According to a report by
Bloomberg Law, Perkins Coie was originally employed to investigate claims that Strauss had abused thousands of male wrestlers and others during his tenure at the university until 1998.
However, the firm had been resisting a subpoena from attorneys suing the school over its handling of the alleged assaults. Deavers’ order now stipulates that the firm must submit documents related to witnesses who were not victims of the abuse. The judge emphasized that Perkins Coie is not obliged to share information about victims who served as witnesses in the investigation or “confidential communications involving legal advice” between Perkins Coie and another Big Law firm, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur.
In her decision for the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Deavers dismissed several arguments made by Perkins Coie to maintain attorney-client privilege over all requested documents, finding them unpersuasive. She also commanded Perkins to produce interview memoranda regarding each of the “non-survivor witnesses” and any associated spreadsheets.
The widespread allegations, largely surfacing in 2018, led the Ohio attorney general’s office to appoint Porter Wright as the university’s legal counsel the same year. Perkins Coie was subsequently chosen by Porter Wright to carry out an independent investigation, in part to ascertain whether the university was privy to the allegations.
In a comprehensive 182-page report published by the school in May 2019, the investigators delivered detailed accounts of the abuse. Perkins Coie lawyers also interviewed Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and former Ohio State wrestling coach. Jordan, however, continues to refute any knowledge of the accusations directed towards Strauss. For more information on the case, refer to In re Subpoena to Perkins Coie, S.D. Ohio, No. 2:19-mc-38, 2024 BL 158339, Court Opinion issued May 08, 2024.