Following a federal judge's decision, Les Wexner, the billionaire behind such brands as L Brands, is set to be deposed in a lawsuit against Ohio State University (OSU) linked to sexual abuse allegations against former university doctor Richard Strauss. Wexner, who served on the board of trustees at the university from 1988 to 1997, will need to provide testimony as part of an ongoing investigation into whether the school's officials were aware of the abuse at the time. WOSU reported that U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson denied Wexner's motion to quash a subpoena, asserting that the plaintiffs have the right to learn what Wexner knew about the abuse and when.
The decision to require Wexner to sit for a deposition comes at a time when he is also expected to be deposed by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 18 about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner has agreed to fully cooperate with Congress' inquiry, despite his attorneys' claims that the subpoena for the Strauss case has little to do with the abuse and more to do with Epstein. The plaintiffs have pushed back against this narrative, with attorney Rocky Ratliff, a survivor of Strauss' abuse, stating in an interview obtained by ABC6 that "It has nothing to do with the Epstein case or anything like that. In fact, we're not supposed to even go into any of that stuff because that's not what we're here for."
Judge Watson has ordered that Wexner's deposition take place within the next 60 days, a significant ruling for those seeking justice for the victims of Strauss, who is accused of sexually abusing at least 177 male students. An investigation by OSU found that some students were sexually abused as early as the 1970s, overlapping with Wexner's tenure on the board. According to WKYC, plaintiffs hope that Wexner's testimony will reveal if the board had any knowledge of allegations surrounding Strauss, which could be evidence of the university's deliberate indifference to the situation.
While Wexner's legal team has previously argued against his relevance in the case, the judge's ruling indicates otherwise, with potential implications for both OSU and Wexner. His impending deposition adds another layer to the high-profile abuse cases linked to his name, as he is also connected with Mike Jeffries, the former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO facing sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, as mentioned by WOSU. Meanwhile, an OSU spokesman has declined to comment on the ruling.
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