Six former Ohio State wrestling coached issued a statement Monday defending United States Congressman and former Buckeye assistant Jim Jordan against allegations he turned a blind eye to rampant sexual abuse committed by then-team doctor Richard Strauss.
"What has been said about Jim Jordan is absolutely wrong," the statement read. "We all worked on the wrestling coaching staff during Jim's tenure at The Ohio State University. None of us saw or heard of abuse of OSU wrestlers. The well-being of student-athletes was all of our concern. If we had heard of any abuse, we would have spoken up."
Signees:
- Russ Hellickson, former head coach
- Dave Ruckman, former assistant coach
- Rex Holman, former assistant coach
- Ken Chertow, former assistant coach
- Myron Kharchilava, former assistant coach
- Kenny Ramsey Jr., former assistant coach
Seven former wrestlers accuse Jordan of knowing about the abuse, with the latest being David Range, who wrestled under Jordan in the late 1980s.
