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Wexner’s legal team moves to quash subpoena in Strauss sex abuse lawsuit
Davis Beatty Managing Campus Editor
Les Wexner’s attorneys filed a motion to quash the latest attempt to subpoena and depose Wexner in a class-action lawsuit against Ohio State over its handling of Dr. Richard Strauss’ sexual abuse.
Filed on Tuesday, the legal team argued in the motion to the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Ohio that there is no evidence of Wexner having relevant knowledge of Strauss or his victims. The attorneys also said Wexner is being targeted over other Board of Trustees members because Wexner’s public figure status would gain media attention.
“Everyone agrees on one thing: there is no evidence of any kind whatsoever to suggest that Mr. Wexner has any relevant knowledge regarding Dr. Richard Strauss or his victims,” the motion states.
Those representing the survivors of Strauss have attempted to serve a subpoena to Wexner four times. Earlier this month, a judge allowed them to attempt an alternative way to serve that subpoena, per prior Lantern reporting. So far, the plaintiffs have attempted to depose Wexner at his New Albany home, at an Ohio State’s Board of Trustees meeting and through one of his attorneys, Matthew Ziegler, per prior Lantern reporting.
Steve Snyder-Hill, a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in an email he thinks it is reasonable to ask Wexner questions about any Board of Trustees involvement with Strauss while he was working at Ohio State. He also refuted
the argument that the subpoenas are merely to seek publicity.
“This is not a PR stunt as the filing would make people believe,” Snyder-Hill said.
Wexner is the founder of L Brands and chairman of the Wexner Medical Center Board. According to the document, he was on Ohio State’s Board of Trustees during Strauss’ tenure
at Ohio State, during which Strauss sexually abused at least 177 students, mostly male athletes, while he was a physician at the university.
Strauss retired in 1998 and died by suicide in 2005.
The plaintiffs in the case, who are suing Ohio State over its handling of Strauss’ abuse, argue Wexner may have known about Strauss.
In the alternative Judge Michael Watson granted, the plaintiffs could leave a copy of the subpoena with Wexner’s personal security personnel, mail it to his home or email a copy to Wexner’s attorney.
LES WEXNER continues on page 2.
Les Wexner, who is being subpoenaed in a lawsuit by the survivors of Dr. Richard Strauss.
CAMPUS
On page 4 On page 8
Winter Storm Fern photo gallery Buckeye representation in the NFL
Wexner legal team’s recent action in Strauss case
Continued from page 1.
Wexner’s legal team said in the motion that the plaintiffs have examined numerous public documents, complaints and have taken and defended 40 depositions of discovery witnesses and key Ohio State people, but these efforts have revealed no information about Wexner’s knowledge of Strauss.
“But, with regard to Mr. Wexner, they have come up with nothing,” the motion read. “Not a single document, Fact Sheet, affidavit, pleading allegation, or fig leaf of cherry-picked testimony to show that Mr. Wexner has any relevant, discoverable knowledge. Yet they demand to take his deposition anyway.”
Additionally, Wexner’s legal team questioned the motive of the subpoena based on the focus of Wexner instead of the rest of the Board of Trustees who were also present during Strauss’ tenure.
“Plaintiffs’ focus on Mr. Wexner alone, to the exclusion of other Trustees who were also on the Board during this ‘critical time period of Strauss’s serial sexual abuse’ raises further questions concerning their true motive,” the document said.
The motion went on to mention attorney Alex Shumate, who was a board member from 1989-98 and was present at the meeting when Ohio State awarded Strauss emeritus status. Tamala Longaberger, another board member from 1996-2005, was also present at that meeting, the document said.
The document said that the plaintiffs have made no attempt to secure documents and deposition testimony from the other board members whose tenure overlapped with Strauss’ em-
ployment.
“For some still-unarticulated reason, it is only Mr. Wexner, who Plaintiffs have urged the state and federal government to investigate, with whom Plaintiffs insist that OSU must disassociate, and against whom Plaintiffs have protested multiple times, that Plaintiffs want to interrogate,” the motion said. “The reason why is obvious: it is only Mr. Wexner’s name that guarantees Plaintiffs media attention.”
In December, Snyder-Hill and other survivors of Strauss protested outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, calling for Wexner’s name to be removed from inside the building.
On Jan. 22, Ohio State formally denied a request to remove the name from the building, submitted by Snyder-Hill through Ohio State’s naming review procedure, per prior Lantern reporting.
Wexner was also subpoenaed earlier this month by the U.S. Committee on Oversight Reform for his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, per prior Lantern reporting.
Les Wexner speaks onstage at the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards presented by Hearst Magazines on June 7, 2016, in New York City.
NICHOLAS HUNT | GETTY IMAGES VIA TNS
Local businesses that stayed open amidst frigid temperatures during Winter Storm Fern
Helena Hennessy Arts & Life Senior Writer
This weekend, Columbus received about a foot of snow, which blanketed High Street and its residing local businesses. Though many of those establishments were forced to close their doors, some — rather ambitiously — remained open.
Winter Storm Fern resulted in Ohio State holding virtual classes Monday and Tuesday, per prior Lantern reporting. In addition, dining facilities on campus were limited. To combat these campus closures, some local businesses chose to open their doors to shivering Ohio State students.
Jimmy Barouxis, owner of Buckeye Donuts at 1998 N. High St., said weather events such as these serve to ignite a sense of community.
“That’s what Buckeye Donuts is at its core,” Barouxis said. “It’s in our DNA to be open — to stay open for the public. Where are they going to go? If
go, they can count on us.”
The eatery, which is typically open 24/7, kept its promise — apart from Sunday night when they ran out of food to serve, Barouxis said.
“We started running out of food — like prepped food, stuff that was prepped to serve,” Barouxis said. “Then basically, the menu kind of collapses.”
Threes Above High — a dive bar at 2203 N. High St. — also used the snow emergency as a chance to unite its community. The bar opened both Sunday and Monday night, according to an Instagram post.
“Our brand has always been about making memories, and a snow day is something everyone remembers from childhood as fun and special,” Scott Ellsworth, owner of Threes, said in an Instagram direct message.
Barouxis shared these feelings of nostalgia in recounting his family’s experience with the Great Blizzard of 1978 — one of Ohio’s worst blizzards in history that occurred 47 years before Monday’s storm, according to a WCMH-TV NBC4 article. The record-breaking blizzard resulted in Columbus accumulating 28 total inches of snow.
because there was a huge blizzard, and they had a line — everything was closed. From what I heard, they had a partial power outage. This was the only shop open.”
Barouxis said his family’s efforts, and the people they were able to bring together, made for a magical experience.
“[My dad] ran this place with my aunt,” Barouxis said. “They were trapped
“My dad was in the back making donuts, and my aunt was working the front counter,” Barouxis said. “They were young at the time, and my dad couldn’t make donuts fast enough. They weren’t expecting to be that busy. They were here 18 to 20-some hours each. My aunt tells me the story every Christmas.”
Threes also viewed the weather as a reason to celebrate the Ohio State community. The bar used its Instagram account to inform students of each night’s celebration — sharing multiple posts.
“We leaned into themes,” Ellsworth said, as the bar put a spin on what would have been a typical night. “Pajamas on Sunday, jerseys and joggers on Monday, and people really understood the assignment.”
Ellsworth said he is grateful for the efforts of his staff, who made the festivities possible.
“We’re fortunate to have a team willing to step up and make that possible because without them, we couldn’t do this,” Ellsworth said. “Owners also picked up staff for work so no one had
to walk or drive in unsafe conditions.”
Barouxis echoed the same gratitude, as Buckeye Donuts operated with a team of six employees over the course of the weekend.
“A lot of our employees — they walk,” Barouxis said. “Some employees drove together, whoever had the biggest vehicle picked up some people. The rest walked. We were ready to rock and roll.”
Both local businesses said the choice to stay open throughout the snow storm was a worthy one.
“It was a 10-out-of-10 experience,” Ellsworth said. “We’re incredibly grateful for our staff and our loyal, almost cult-like following who always show up for our dumb ideas.”
Barousix said both the students and Buckeye Donuts need each other.
“It’s trust,” Barouxis said. “They need us. They’ve always supported us — OSU, the faculty, the students — for generations, for a long time. So, we’re there for them.”
The Threes Above High sign.
A sign inside Buckeye Donuts.
CHRISTIAN HARSA | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
CHRISTIAN HARSA | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
Daniel Bush Campus Photo Editor
PHOTO Ohio State students make best of Winter Storm Fern
A man walks past Buckeye Donuts on Sunday, one of a few businesses open on campus that day.
Students watch as another student falls into a snow bank.
A student getting pulled by a truck on High Street.
A man poses for a photo on 12th Avenue as others make their way to High Street on Sunday.
A truck drives through the unplowed streets of campus Sunday afternoon.
ARTS & LIFE
On page 1 On page 7
Wexner’s subpoena motion A testimonial from Ohio State pistol
Dollhouse & Co to Host Kitty’s Sweetheart Market with over 30 vendors
Alexis Brackney Lantern Reporter
Dollhouse & Co is bringing all the Valentine’s Day vibes with their Sanrio themed pop-up event Sunday.
Dollhouse & Co — a woman, people of color and queer-owned business — will host Kitty’s Sweetheart Market at 401 W. Town St. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. With a $5 entry cost, the event will include a live set by DJ Envy, a fourth-year in communications, a “Best Dressed” contest with prizes from the vendors, a matcha and chai bar, $85 flash tattoos and more than 30 vendors catering to the market’s theme.
Sania Mohamed, host of Dollhouse & Co, said her goal is to create a safe and comfortable environment for those specifically of minority backgrounds, offering more feminine products.
“Its very important for me to create a space where other people like me feel seen and heard and feel safe vending as well [as] shopping,” Mohamed said. “We are a very fem-focused market, so I want to make sure that our vendors cater towards our community here of the hot girls, gays and theys.”
While also aligning with her morals, Mohamed said each theme coincides with the products of the chosen vendors.
“We really try to curate the vendors according to the theme,” Mohamed said. “We want to emulate it.”
Maliha Pyarali, owner of Sufi Chai House and a third-year in marketing, is a new vendor for the Dollhouse & Co markets this year. At this event, Pyarali will be bringing a specialty menu of matcha and chai drinks, inspired by
her Pakistani culture.
The menu is centered around Sanrio, offering drinks such as the Hello Kitty matcha, Cinnamoroll chai and more. The full menu is available on Dollhouse & Co’s Instagram.
Pyarali said much of her inspiration comes from her own childhood memories, as her family shares the same love of chai. She also looks to open her own chai shop following her graduation in May.
“We always end our meal with a cup of chai,” Pyarali said.
Valerie Tran is a returning vendor who will be bringing her business, Pochettely, best known for being Ohio’s first Italian charm bar, to the market.
Tran said her business name originates from the French word “pochette,” which means “little pocket.”
“Little pockets of things you love,” Tran said.
Additionally, Tran expressed her enthusiasm towards the event and how well it pairs with Pochettely.
“We’re really excited for Kitty’s Sweetheart Market because it celebrates fun, nostalgia and connection in a really joyful way,” Tran said in a text message. “The Y2K and sweetheart theme pair naturally with what we do, creating personalized keepsakes that
feel playful but meaningful.”
Mohamed said it brings her joy to meet and work with new vendors.
“We like to keep a rotating mix of new and returning vendors throughout all of our markets,” Mohamed said. “Even in this market, I’m really excited that we’ll have a lot of new people that I haven’t worked with before.”
Mohamed started her personal business in 2021, Genie Baby, selling Y2K and vintage clothing. She said her experiences in the community led her to create a more inviting marketing scene.
“Being a woman-owned business in
Columbus, especially in the vintage scene, I felt like at that time in 2021 I was one out of very few women vendors, as well as being [a] POC,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed said she no longer has this feeling, especially when hosting her own markets.
“I genuinely have the most fun at my markets,” Mohamed said. “I love the people that come out and the interactions that I have.”
For more information on the event, including featured vendors, speciality drinks, potential prizes and more, visit Dollhouse & Co’s Instagram.
Faux cake box items from vendors at Dollhouse & Co’s Valentine’s Day-themed market in 2025.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANIA MOHAMED
Grand reopening of I Scream Gelato to take place Thursday
Brooke Farmer Lantern Reporter
IScream Gelato will be opening its doors at 2010 N. High Street to the public once again Thursday, offering deals, prizes and a new gelato flavor.
The shop closed Dec. 1, 2025 due to flooding from the apartments above the storefront. This was the second time it was forced to shut down, after closing June 5, 2025, also a result of flooding.
I Scream Gelato has a second location at Polaris Mall that has remained open, but the shop is eager to reopen its High Street location, said Cameron Blight, manager of the High St. location and fourth-year in air transportation. The shop is offering various deals and prizes from Thursday through Sunday to welcome back its customers.
“Thursday, we’d be doing T-shirt giveaways — like, first 100 people after 8 p.m. get a free T-shirt,” Blight said. “Then, we’re going to be doing merchandise giveaways. We have new custom merch that we’ve designed.”
In addition, Blight said the shop will be offering free buckeye-flavored gelato from 4-8 p.m. and a buy-one-get-onefree deal from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday, 50% off specialty desserts Friday and T-shirt giveaways throughout the weekend.
I Scream Gelato will reopen its doors Thursday after facing flooding issues in December 2025.
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chris Myers, co-owner of the Columbus franchise, said the shop has made changes to the pricing of its coffee.
“Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we’re actually also doing a grand prize giveaway each day,” Blight said. “It will be announced via social media, but it’s actually going to be based on people who are coming into the store.”
I Scream Gelato will also be offering free coffee Friday through Sunday
“Any size latte is $3.50, so it’s just a flat $3.50 charge,” Myers said. “You can get whatever flavoring you want.”
While there are plenty of deals and prizes set for its grand re-opening, Blight said I Scream Gelato has other exciting news to share.
“We actually have a new flavor,” Blight said. “We haven’t announced it
yet, but it’s Dubai chocolate.”
As Dubai chocolate makes its debut, Blight said the store’s vegan, mango gelato flavor will also be returning.
Though the store is excited about its newest flavor, Myers said he wants Ohio State students to know the shop serves more than just gelato.
“We have everything from crepes, Belgian and bubble waffles to gelato — obviously — and hot and cold caffeinated drinks,” Myers said. “It’s not just a place to come and get a cup of gelato.
There’s a lot of different options.” Myers said the team at I Scream Gelato is excited and ready to come back, serve students and have a good time.
“I mean, you don’t open a store right across the street from Ohio State’s campus without, you know, loving serving college kids and just enjoying that back and forth,” Myers said. “Really, it’s that we enjoy kids coming in and studying and just hanging out, getting coffee, milkshakes, whatever they want.”
NICK DESANTIS | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
Aiming for excellence: What I learned from Ohio State’s National Champion pistol team
Graham Knapp Lantern Reporter
Ten national titles since 2000. Six titles since 2018.
Five straight championships, including 2025.
Ask sports fans about Ohio State champions and they may think of football or women’s hockey. But tucked inside Converse Hall is one of the most successful teams on campus: pistol.
I can’t blame fans for overlooking the greatness of this team. Until recently, I was one of them. That changes now.
To better understand the sport, I went firsthand to learn from head coach Emil Milev how Ohio State continues to shoot at such an elite level.
Milev, a five-time Olympian and one of the most accomplished pistol athletes in the world, said the secret to success comes down to patience.
“Like any other sport, it requires you to want to do it,” Milev said. “The progress is very incremental, and you have to have the desire to go through the difficult moments, but finding fun in the repetition.”
Milev was not kidding.
The moment I stepped into practice, athletes were already deep into “dry
fire” drills, repeatedly lifting the pistol, rotating the shoulder and setting it back down for 15 straight minutes. No targets. No noise. Just precision. The margin for error was razor thin, and attention to detail was everything.
After watching, it was my turn.
Milev led me back to his office and handed me an empty mock pistol. It looked nothing like the stereotypical firearm. The wooden grip was custom molded to fit the shooter’s hand exactly, designed for comfort and absolute consistency.
Then we went to the range.
How hard could it be to lift the pistol, rotate my shoulder and set it back down?
Very hard.
Within seconds, Milev was correcting me. My hips were misaligned. My shoulder was not high enough. My wrist was bent. Each adjustment revealed another mistake. No matter how many times I reset, nothing felt natural or controlled.
I looked exactly like what I was, a beginner.
I tried again and again, searching for any sense of rhythm or comfort, but it
never
came. Every repetition demanded total focus, and even then, perfection felt impossibly far away.
Before wrapping up, I asked sophomore shooter Blaine Simpson what separates Ohio State from everyone else. His answer came without hesitation.
“The first factor is obviously the coaching,” Simpson said. “Coach Milev is the best coach in the world, in my opinion. Our culture of accountability
and respect, constantly pushing each other and relying on each other to get done what we need to get done.”
As I left Converse Hall, my arm ached and my aim was nonexistent. But I walked away with a new appreciation for the patience, discipline and precision behind every shot.
The pistol team may not draw 100,000 fans, but their quiet excellence defines what it truly means to be a Buckeye champion.
Ohio State Buckeyes’ representation in the NFL
Continued from page 8.
Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel arrived in New England with a point to prove.
After being dismissed following six seasons with the Tennessee Titans at the end of the 2023 season, Vrabel spent the 2024 year away from the sideline, working as a personal consultant with the Cleveland Browns while waiting for another opportu-
nity to lead a franchise.
When that opportunity finally came, Vrabel made the most of it.
In his first season back as a head coach, Vrabel took over a Patriots team that finished 4-13 and turned it into a 17-win Super Bowl participant, marking a 13-win turnaround — the largest two-season improvement in NFL history.
But long before his success on the sideline, Vrabel built his football foundation at Ohio State, where he starred as a defensive end from 1993-96. A two-time Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Vrabel set a school record
with 36 sacks and went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL.
Now a favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year in his first season with New England, Vrabel has solidified himself as one of the league’s premier head coaches.
“I can’t say enough about coach Vrabel,” Patriots offensive lineman Garett Bradbury said after Sunday’s AFC Championship win over the Denver Broncos. “His leadership and the vision he had for this team and how he built it – it’s awesome.”
Read the rest online at www. thelantern.com!
A member of the Ohio State pistol team poses for media day.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to the media at Gillette Stadium.
MATT STONE | BOSTON HERALD VIA TNS
On page 3
Campus favorites stay open during winter storm
On page 5
Local gelato spot reopens Thursday
Ohio State in the NFL: Lantern sports staff picks its 2025-26 Buckeye superlatives
Jack Diwik, Liv Rinaldi, Reilly Cahill and Gabe Eaker Managing Sports Editor, Sports Editor and Sports Senior Writers
Twenty-two Pro Bowl Selections.
Four league award winners.
Three Super Bowl champions.
Over the past five seasons, Buckeye football alums have been making their mark at the next level. This comes as no surprise, as Ohio State has had 503 players selected in the NFL draft since 1936, trailing only USC and Notre Dame.
The program has had a resounding reputation of producing some of the league’s best players.
This year was no different.
With the NFL season winding down and 10 days remaining until Super Bowl LX, Ohio State will once again be represented on the sport’s biggest stage when the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in San Francisco. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Thayer Munford and TreVeyon Henderson are set to compete for a Lombardi Trophy, while former Buckeye defensive end Mike Vrabel leads the Patriots from the sideline.
But even beyond the Super Bowl rosters, Ohio State’s league-best 67 alumni on active NFL rosters continued to make their mark across the league.
Here are The Lantern sports staff’s Buckeye NFL superlatives for the 2025-26 season.
MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was just a sophomore when then-Buckeye superstar Garrett Wilson said something that caught the attention of Buckeye Nation.
“Jaxon is as good as I’ve ever seen, probably the best I’ve ever seen,” Wilson said four days before Ohio
State’s 2021 season opener against Min nesota.
It was a bold statement for a receiver who totaled 49 yards as a freshman, but Smith-Njigba did more than live up to it.
Smith-Njigba delivered two steady seasons to begin his NFL career, totaling 1,758 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He followed with a historic sophomore season, hauling in 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and 13 touchdowns, capped by a school-record 347 receiving yards in a Rose Bowl win over Utah. Even after a hamstring injury limited him to three games as a junior, Smith-Njigba’s trajectory never wavered.
Selected 20th overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft,
those marks in his third
Now the favorite to win NFL Offensive Player
Smith-Njigunstoppable, passes for 1,965 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead Seattle to its fourth Super Bowl appearance.
Smith-Njigba was the unanimous choice for MVP by The Lantern sports staff.
Comeback Player of the Year: Chris Olave
Not many players have overcome more than Chris Olave.
Since being drafted in 2022, Olave has suffered four concussions that saw him miss 11 games in his first three
seasons as a New Orleans Saint. After two concussions in 2024, the 24-yearold first-round pick contemplated retirement.
“I was only 24 years old, contemplating retirement, especially with the head injuries,” Olave said after a Dec. 21 game against the New York Jets. “But I prayed about it. My fam, my close fam, was around me. They stuck by my side and I just gave it another try.”
It was a decision that paid off. Olave rebounded with the best season of his NFL career, finishing with 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns while appearing in 16 of 17 games for the Saints. Once again, he looked like the polished, dependable receiver he was drafted at No. 11 overall to be.
That reputation was forged at Ohio State as part of one of the most loaded wide receiver rooms in college football history alongside Smith-Njigba and Wilson. Olave closed his Buckeye career with 176 receptions for 2,711 yards and 35 touchdowns, but his arrival on the national stage came much earlier.
As a true freshman in 2018, Olave blocked a punt and scored the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career in a 62-39 win over Michigan, a breakout performance that etched his name into Ohio State lore and announced his presence on the sport’s biggest stage.
Now healthy and thriving again, Olave’s path from that moment against the Wolverines to a career-defining NFL season earns him the Lantern sports staff’s selection for Comeback Player of the Year. NFL continues on page 7.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba waltzes his way into the end zone on a 28yard reception in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
DEAN RUTZ | THE SEATTLE TIMES VIA TNS