Ohio State investigation alleges Cleveland-area massage therapist exploited football players for sex
O-HOhio State investigation alleges Cleveland-area massage therapist exploited football players for sex
Updated May 14, 4:53 PM; Posted May 13, 3:33 PM
Ohio State hired an outside law firm to investigate the relationship between a massage therapist and Buckeyes football players. The investigation determined no laws or NCAA rules were broken. Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com
By Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State says a Cleveland-area massage therapist used those services to seek sexual relationships with football players, leading to the revocation of her license.
The university made public Thursday the findings of a two-month investigation, conducted by the law firm Barnes & Thornburg. The report characterized the therapist’s actions as “inappropriate and exploitative.”
In a background call with reporters, athletic director Gene Smith said an OSU compliance investigation determined no NCAA violations occurred. He said the NCAA agreed with that finding.
However, the individual was barred from campus and lost her massage therapist license in Ohio. The report does not name the woman.
Smith said Ohio State shared the details of the report in an effort to be transparent, and to allow other schools and athletic programs to learn from the episode.
• Cleveland-area massage therapist calls idea she preyed on Ohio State football players ‘ridiculous’
Here are the key points of the report:
What activity took place?
According to the report, the State Medical Board of Ohio received a complaint on March 14, 2020 against the therapist, a 41-year-old woman from northeast Ohio. The complaint alleged the therapist contacted OSU football players via social media offering massage services, used those massages to initiate sexual interactions, then demanded payment.
These meetings began in 2018 and continued until 2021, mostly in off-campus housing or hotels. Eventually the therapist also began contacting OSU recruits on national signing day via social media messages.
Smith confirmed that OSU athletics does have massage therapists available to athletes. However, the report stated that athletes did not have access to the one- and two-hour full-body massages offered by this therapist.
The therapist allegedly initiated the sexual activity either through seemingly inadvertent touching of the players’ genitals, or by sending overt messages and explicit photos.
Almost a full year after the State Medical Board received the initial complaint, one of the agency’s investigators shared it with the OSU Police Division this past March 4. A State Medical Board spokesperson told cleveland.com that its investigative process and materials are confidential under state law. However, they disputed the law firm’s assertion that the Medical Board report was “delayed,” saying such investigations are “deliberate, purposeful, and take time.”
Ohio State compliance began its own investigation, but by March 18, opted to hire outside counsel.
According to the law firm, 117 current and former OSU players and 44 current and former coaches and staff were interviewed. The investigation determined that 83 players had either no knowledge or very limited knowledge of the therapist prior to the investigation.
Nine players either interacted with the woman or knew about her from other players. Another 20 said they received massages only, and five admitted during interviews they engaged in sexual activity with the therapist. All characterized the sex as consensual.
Were NCAA rules broken?
The outside investigation determined that the therapist had no connection to Ohio State University or the athletic department. The firm said it reviewed “lists of donors to the OSU Athletic Department, OSU Booster Clubs, and lists of individuals who are or have been associated with the OSU football program.”
Per the report, “The facts indicate that she seemed to be acting for her own sexual gratification and that she acted alone.”
Smith said that determination ruled out any NCAA violation for extra or impermissible benefits. Smith said OSU did not find cause to self-report any violations to the NCAA. Details of the case were shared with the NCAA, which Smith said concurred no violation occurred.
The investigation also found no evidence of sexual contact between the therapist and players who were minors at the time.
The report also determined no university rules were broken given that no staff members had prior knowledge of the incidents. Barnes & Thornburg, though, recommended turning the findings over to a prosecutor.
According to the report, the therapist occasionally accepted payment for the first massage and refused payment for additional sessions. Often the therapist did not accept payment at all, though she did offer to provide receipts as if the players had paid.
What was the outcome?
On March 22, the therapist surrendered her license to the State of Ohio in lieu of an investigation into allegations she engaged in “sexual misconduct.” The license has been permanently revoked.
Ohio State also banned the woman from campus and locations where students live; and served her a cease-and-desist order pertaining to future contact with students, coaches or staff.
Smith said he first met with the football team about the issue on March 19, and three or four more meetings have followed. Players were told Thursday that the report would become public.