Ohio State thinks Lex Wexner shouldn’t be deposed in the sexual abuse case
According to WOSU, this undated image shows a man who appears to be Les Wexner, center, with Jeffrey Epstein, left. (Courtesy of U. S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
The Ohio State University lawyers think that former university trustee Les Wexner should not be deposed in the civil case related to former university doctor Richard Strauss’s sexual abuse of several student athletes decades ago.
Ohio State lawyers filed a motion on Dec. 10 in federal court, in which they said that “none of the discovery taken to date suggests that Mr. Wexner has any specific information ‘relevant to any party’s claim or defense’ in this litigation,” according to Ideastream Public Media.
“Specifically, Ohio State has not identified Mr. Wexner as a witness in this litigation, and none of the complaints in the litigation, none of the Discovery Plaintiffs’ fact sheets, none of the responses or documents produced by any of the parties in response to discovery requests, and none of the depositions taken to date contain any specific allegations, testimony, or information suggesting that Mr. Wexner interacted with Strauss or possesses any information regarding any plaintiff’s alleged interactions with Strauss,” the lawyers said in the motion.
According to the motion, Wexner allegedly does not possess any letters, text messages, emails, or documents relating to the document requests in the subpoena.
Ideastream Public Media reported that survivors of the sexual assault sued the university and subpoenaed Wexner to be questioned. One of the survivors said during the Dec. 4 Ohio State Board of Trustees meeting that Wexner was defying the subpoena.
In 2005, Strauss committed suicide.
Protesters also brought signs to one of the board meetings that showed photos of Wexner and Epstein standing together, alleging a connection between them.
Multiple former business associates told the New York Times Magazine that multiple people warned Wexner not to have anything to do with Epstein years before the latter was charged with sex abuse scandals.
Among those people was Wexner’s former financial adviser, Harold Levin, who told the magazine that, after meeting with Epstein in New York, he suggested Wexner not to trust Epstein because he was a “rat.”
Instead of following Levin’s advice, Wexner hired Epstein to be Levin’s boss. According to the news source, Epstein got the job by telling Wexner that Levin had been stealing from Wexner. Instead of working as Epstein’s employee, Levin quit his job.
Ohio State also has a problem with security at its Wexner Medical Center, where nurses cannot feel safe anymore, since both patients and random strangers are constantly threatening them.
“We are advocating not only for the safety, well-being, and fair treatment of the professionals who care for patients across OSU, but also for the patients we serve in the broader community that rely on this institution for high-quality, safe, and compassionate care,” the president of the Ohio Nurse Association, Rick Lucas, said.
