Role in Ohio State University abuse scandal
Hellickson was the head wrestling coach at Ohio State University's (OSU) wrestling program from 1986 to 2006. OSU opened an investigation in April 2018 that looked into allegations of sexual misconduct by the former wrestling team's physician, Richard Strauss. Strauss, who died by suicide in California in 2005, was employed at Ohio State from September 1978 to March 1998 as an athletics doctor, faculty member and student health center physician. [10]
Much of the reporting on the collective failure of multiple OSU coaches, assistant coaches, and administrators' failure to report the abuse and coverup has focused on Hellickson's mentee and assistant coach Jim Jordan, later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Jordan, who had a locker next to Strauss, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of any inappropriate conduct by Strauss. According to former OSU champion wrestler Dunyasha Yetts, Hellickson said, "I will defend Jimmy until I have to put my hand on a Bible and be asked to tell the truth, then Jimmy will be on his own." [11]
In a video [12] provided to NBC News by former Ohio State wrestler Mike DiSabato, the initial whistleblower, Hellickson states on camera that he confronted Strauss directly about his misbehavior, telling the doctor he was too "hands on" with the wrestlers and that his showering with the team made them uncomfortable. He also says inappropriate behavior in the wrestling room and showers extended beyond Strauss and that he complained about the behavior, which included people having sex in the wrestling room and watching athletes in the shower, to then-Ohio State intramural sports and recreation director Fred Beekman. "Certainly all my administrators recognized it was an issue for me," Hellickson says in the footage. "I’m sure that I talked to them on numerous occasions about my discontent with the environment. I know I had a lot of conversations with Fred Beekman about it. But nothing ever changed." Also on the video, Hellickson says that he complained to Ohio State administrators that strangers were coming to ogle the wrestlers in the showers at Larkins Hall, where the team worked out. "I caught people having sex in our wrestling room, in our stairwell to the wrestling room, in the bathroom adjacent to our wrestling facility," the coach says "It became a real problem…. There were times when some of the athletes themselves would confront people and say, 'Get out of here. You’re here all the time. You’re watching me. I don’t like it.'" [13]
Yetts told Politico he had asked both Jordan and Hellickson to be present for a medical examination to avoid inappropriate touching by Strauss. [14]
Hellickson allegedly contacted several former OSU wrestling team members and urged them to recant their statements and support Jim Jordan after the former wrestlers accused Jim Jordan of turning a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse, according to the wrestlers and text messages they shared with NBC News. [15] The former wrestlers said their ex-coach made it clear to them he was under pressure from Jordan to get statements of support from members of the team. Yetts shared a July 4, 2018 text message he received from Hellickson with NBC News wherein Hellickson wrote "If you think the story got told wrong about Jim [Jordan], you could probably write a statement for release that tells your story and corrects what you feel bad about. I can put you in contact with someone who would release it. Do not talk to any media. People will call you to convince you I said to talk. No No No" [16]
Mike DiSabato provided a text message to NBC News that states that Mark Coleman was pressured to issue a retraction statement after Jim Jordan, his brother, high school wrestling coach Jeff Jordan, and Hellickson each called Coleman’s parents. NBC News corroborated DiSabato's account of the pressure placed on Coleman and his family by another former OSU wrestler, who has previously spoken to NBC News before and asked not to be identified. [17]
Ohio State released a 232-page report by Perkins Coie, a Seattle-based law firm, hired by the university for $6.2 million to conduct a 12 month independent investigation into Strauss' misconduct and find out who at the university knew about it. [18] The report details Strauss' acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students including 153 athletes: 48 wrestlers, 16 gymnasts, 15 swimmers/divers, 13 soccer players, 10 lacrosse players and more during his employment.with the university from 1978 to 1998. [19] Investigators concluded that university personnel at the time had knowledge of complaints and concerns about Strauss' conduct as early as 1979 but failed to investigate or act meaningfully. [20]
According to the report: [21] 22 coaches, 18 student athletic trainers and five team physicians across multiple sports confirmed they were aware of rumors or complaints about Strauss' misconduct. At the Student Health Center, the director assigned "chaperones" to keep an eye on Strauss in the exam rooms. The report did not identify lower-level coaches and trainers by name. In the redacted version that has been released, Hellickson is referred to as "Head Coach A".
