Silent OSU Protest Demands Les Wexner Testify — Alumni Display Photos With Jeffrey Epstein

Alumni Stage Silent Demonstration at Ohio State Trustees Meeting

Nearly a dozen former Ohio State University students held a quiet protest at a board of trustees meeting to demand that billionaire Leslie (Les) Wexner comply with a subpoena seeking his testimony in litigation related to former campus physician Richard Strauss. Inside the meeting attendees held posters reading “WHERE’S WEXNER” and photos showing Wexner with Jeffrey Epstein, a longtime associate whose crimes later became widely publicized.

“We wanted to let them know that Wexner has been avoiding the subpoena,” said former OSU wrestler Mike DiSabato, who helped organize the demonstration. “They didn’t let us speak to the board.”

The meeting was chaired by John Zeiger, who is both the father and a law partner of Matthew Zeiger, Wexner’s attorney. The session was adjourned before Tom Lisy — a former OSU wrestler who had planned to read a prepared statement — could address the trustees. Lisy’s statement accused Wexner of dodging service of a court-ordered deposition subpoena and said the alumni believe his testimony “will shed light” on the Strauss matter.

University And Legal Responses

Ohio State spokesperson Benjamin Johnson said survivors of Strauss have addressed the board at previous meetings but that there was no standing public comment period at this session. The law firm representing Wexner told reporters it will respond in court “at the appropriate time,” and said plaintiffs’ counsel have not identified the specific knowledge they believe Wexner possesses that is relevant to the Strauss litigation.

Attorneys for the final group of Strauss plaintiffs told a federal judge that process servers were prevented from delivering a subpoena to Wexner at his New Albany, Ohio, residence and that Matthew Zeiger declined to forward the document to his client. The plaintiffs have asked U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson for alternative methods of service — including leaving papers with security, mailing them to Wexner’s home, or electronic delivery to his lawyer — and the court had not yet ruled on those requests.

Background: The Strauss Investigation And Settlements

An independent Ohio State investigation published in 2019 concluded that at least 177 male students were sexually abused by Richard Strauss between the mid-1970s and the late 1990s. Strauss died by suicide in 2005 and was never criminally charged. Since the allegations became public in 2018, Ohio State has settled most claims and reported paying more than $60 million to 296 people, while other plaintiffs continue to pursue litigation.

Wexner’s Connection To Epstein

Wexner, founder of Limited Brands (now L Brands Inc.), served on Ohio State’s board during some of the period when Strauss allegedly abused students. Wexner’s name has surfaced in related conversations because of his long-documented relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Court records and reporting indicate Epstein was a major investor and financial manager for Wexner, and at one point held power of attorney and was named a trustee of the Wexner Foundation.

Documents released in 2024 included an allegation from the late Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre that she was forced to have sex with Wexner multiple times; Wexner has denied that claim. Another accuser, Maria Farmer, alleged an assault by Epstein in 1996 at an Ohio property she said was associated with the Wexners; Wexner has denied knowledge of that incident. Wexner says he severed ties with Epstein in 2007 and has called Epstein’s crimes “abhorrent.”

Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and continues to pursue legal avenues regarding her sentence.

What’s Next

The dispute over service of the subpoena and whether Wexner will be deposed remains before the federal court. Plaintiffs say his testimony could be important to understanding what university officials knew and when; Wexner’s representatives say they will answer the allegations and any subpoena matters through the proper legal channels.