Jim Jordan: Tell the truth & resign

GOP Rep Jim Jordan

US House member Jim Jordan (R-OH) was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University from 1987 to 1995. A number of former wrestlers are now accusing Jordan of ignoring their ongoing sexual abuse at the hands of the team doctor, Richard Strauss.

Jordan claims he was unaware of the abuse, and that he would have done something about it had he heard anything. Two of the former wrestlers have said they told Jordan of the doctor's abuse, and Jordan did nothing about it (one says Jordan "snickered," replied "I have nothing to do with this," and walked away, refusing to help).

Another seven former students say that Jordan must have been aware of the abuse, as it was widely known and talked about at the time. It is difficult to believe that all nine accusers are lying, especially when a number of them consider Jordan their friend, and one even donated to his campaign.

Jordan now claims that even if he was approached by the students, it doesn't matter because they approached him in the locker room, and locker room talk doesn't count: "Conversations in a locker room are a lot different than people coming up and talking about abuse," Jordan told Fox News last week.

That's an absurd argument. As the team coach, and an employee at the university, Jordan served a supervisory role that made him responsible for the safety and security of the students under his care. The moment a student told him about the doctor's misconduct, it shouldn't have mattered whether Jordan was standing in a locker room, his office, or the corner store. It would have been his responsibility to follow up on the concerns.

Enough is enough. US House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top Republicans are now publicly defending Jim Jordan's abominable behavior, when they should be holding Jordan accountable for failing to protect the young students under his care. Please add your name to those demanding that Jim Jordan come clean about his role in this scandal, and then resign.

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To: GOP Rep Jim Jordan
From: [Your Name]

Come clean about your role in the Ohio State sexual abuse scandal, and resign.