Three years after the story first broke, antigay Rep. Jim Jordan‘s college wrestling gay sex abuse scandal is making headlines again.
Former Ohio State wrestling coach Adam DiSabato appeared before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee last week to once again accuse Jordan of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse while the homophobic lawmaker worked as assistant coach for the school’s wrestling team from 1986 to 1994.
Quick backstory: In 2018, Jordan, who has served as the U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 4th congressional district since 2007, was blamed for willfully ignoring reports of sexual misconduct made by male athletes against the team doctor, Richard Strauss.
An exhaustive investigation by the university concluded that Strauss abused as many as 1,500 to 2,000 people during his tenure as the team doctor, resulting in the school paying over $40 million in settlements to more than 160 victims.
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In 2019, Sports Illustrated reported:
Many of Strauss’ accusers who have spoken publicly said they were groped and inappropriately touched during physical exams, or ogled in locker rooms. Many told investigators that they thought the doctor’s behavior was an “open secret” and that they believed their coaches, trainers and other team doctors knew about it.
The students described the examinations as being “hazed” or going through a “rite of passage.” Athletes joked about Strauss’ behavior, referring to him with nicknames like “Dr. Jelly Paws.”
Jordan, a staunch Trump loyalist and vehement homophobe, has long denied knowing anything about the abuse, and for several years he has managed to wiggle his way out of trouble.
Until now.
Last week, DiSabato testified before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee, declaring that Jordan refused to look into the accusations against Strauss, who committed suicide in 2005.
DiSabato also said Jordan was well aware of the open-shower facilities where the alleged abuses happened, despite him claiming otherwise, and that he actively aided and abetted in the cover-up.
“Jim Jordan called me crying, groveling, begging me to go against my brother, begging me, crying for a half-hour,” DiSabato testified. “That’s the kind of cover-up that’s going on there.”
DiSabato’s testimony is a part of a hearing on legislation that would grant survivors of Strauss’s abuse the right to sue Ohio State for damages after the statute of limitations has run out.
In 2019, NBC News reported that roughly 350 men were trying to sue the university, claiming they were abused.
DiSabato has alleged in the past that, in addition to ignoring the abuse, Jordan would hand out a “King of the Sauna” certificate every year to the athlete with the most clever banter while in the showers–the same showers where Strauss is accused of performing the bulk of his sexual abuse. He also said Jordan would hang out in the sauna daily.
Jordan has long denied all of the allegations against him and swears that he never witnessed any abuse take place in the locker room.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Den
Jim (or Gym as some call him) Jordan is quite obviously one of the least intelligent of elected officials in the US. He is a constant embarrassment to all except himself, being too dull to even realize what a laughingstock he is.
Max
never trust a guy that won’t even wear any kind of jacket
customartist
In the sauna daily, thousands of confirmed cases, but Jordan “never witnessed any abuse”.
M’kay.
SteveM
Maybe Jordan enjoyed watching the sexual abuse?
Saps48
Bingo! We have a winner…!
WSnyder
8 years as Assistant Coach and didn’t know about 1,500+ students being abused in the locker-room? Of course he’s lying he ‘didn’t know’ because no one could be THAT incompetent. I’m sure he’s a first class moron, judging by his congressional record and public comments about Obama, Biden and Clinton and his support of Trump, but the staggering depth of the abuse makes it impossible NOT to have a clue.
Just waiting for him being taken down and pinned by the courts.
SteveM
I think he might have enjoyed watching the sexual abuse.
Kevan1
Closet c-ock sucker.
BoomerMyles
Cancel the mofo.
cuteguy
This sick Jordan loves to yell all the time to try and cover and distract from all the noise in his life. What district would vote him in? Oh wait, a GQP I’m sure, the same that voted in Majorie Taylor Biggot. GOP = KKK
CoreyW
Okay but how can a college student be “abused?” Wrestlers especially are pretty jacked up and can punch out or otherwise handle some pervert middle-aged coach if they’re being hit on and don’t want it. We’re talking about adults here, not children.
Cam
By your logic no adult could be sexually harassed or raped.
You could just as easily say “How could an employee be sexually pressured or harassed at work, they’re adults”.
Nice try troll.
spacecadet
It’s not about the victim’s physical strength. If the perpetrator is in a position of power over the victim, even if that victim is strong and an adult, a crime like sexual abuse can and will still occur. And especially because it’s of a gay nature, you will have victimized men too ashamed and embarrassed to come forward and speak out.
Mike Hunt
Jim/Gym knew what was what. He likely did not participate directly as he was probably suffering from SPS, which as we all know is Small Penis Syndrome. (The constant yelling compensates for the SPS.)
mailliw110
As a person who’s worked in the largest school district in Oregon, teachers and staff are not blind. We know who the good and bad kids are. We also know who the good and bad employees are. What I’ve noticed is that most rumors are true.
KyleMichelSullivan
He’s a closet case, no question. I just look at his photo and my gaydar goes off. He probably enjoyed the thought of his “boys” being molested, and what could they do about it? Many of them are there on scholarships and might get that taken away. So once they saw their coach wouldn’t help them and law wouldn’t do jack about it, they tolerated the fondling and ogling and focused on their education.
Now that Gym-bo’s close friends with Matt Gaetz, I wonder if Nestor (Matty’s boy) is being put in a similar situation? “If you don’t play along, we’ll send you back to Cuba.”
Herman75
Smarts is not a GOP prerequisite for election.
butchqueen
Coaches usually only get to teach driver’s ed outside the gym. Mostly mental midgets.
Lightbulb
The problems is very simple. The Mainstream media US still feels it is acceptable to not cover LGBT stories in the news. These stories of turning a blind eye are very commonplace since the days of Stonewall. I for the life of me do not understand why these are never discussed on the news and just recently seeing stories of abuse towards the Asian community? The dumpster also made it acceptable since 2016 to hate on basically everyone but white male GOPQers and that is even debatable at times!
CNY1983
The kind of guy who always wants to be the only bottom in the room
happy50132003
Just more HATE. Isn’t it funny how all the gays jump on this because he is a Republican. if he was a democrat the press would be saying it is not true. SAD the the bias media is constantly promoting HATE and trying to divide the country. So SAD that people are so STUPID and can not think for themselves. What about the CA representative that has been sleeping with a Chinese spy?? Where is the article on this jerk?? AND the woman has slept with a number of men that are democrats but the bias media (Queerty) says nothing.
sadiedog63
Take your stupid Qanon nut job azz over to brietbutt Trump trash. The guy is a liar and a creep and monster typical for you Qanon nut jobs. Hey dumb dumb the sky is falling!! Cover your head so a cloud doesn’t hit you. What a moron, plenty of websites are reporting on that, go there troll.
sadiedog63
Gym shorts Jordan the rasslin’ rapist, put his slimy, grimy azz in prison. Another low life from the nazi party.
humble charlie
The only way to get rid of him is to use the Simple Trick to Clean Earwax.