The GOP congressman, who is running for House speaker, has long being accused of failing to act on sexual abuse allegations while he was a wrestling coach.
Four former wrestlers from Ohio State University who accuse rep. Jim Jordan of failing to act on allegations of sexual abuse when he was the team’s assistant coach said the congressman shouldn’t become the new House speaker.
Jordan has long denied accusations that he was aware of any abuse allegations aimed at OSU team doctor Richard Strauss while the Republican worked as a coach between 1986 and 1994. The allegations against Jordan first emerged in 2018, with six former wrestlers telling CNN in 2020 that Jordan knew of complaints from students about Strauss, but failed to take any action.
The allegations surrounding Jordan’s apparent knowledge of the widespread abuse have been brought up again in the wake of rep. Kevin McCarthy’s historic removal from the role of House speaker in a 216-210 vote on October 3. Jordan, along with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, are the only two candidates to confirm their plans to compete for the position, with the Ohio congressman getting the backing of former president Donald Trump.
Speaking to NBC News, four of the former Ohio State University wrestlers who have accused Jordan of failing to protect them from Stauss in the 1980s and 1990s have said that Jordan is not a suitable candidate for the role of House Speaker, a position which is second in line for the presidency after the vice president. Jordan’s office has been contacted for comment via email.
