ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – When the University of Michigan announced last week that allegations of decades-old sexual misconduct by a sports doctor were under investigation, former wrestler Mike DiSabato was stunned by the parallels to an abuse scandal at his alma mater, Ohio State.
The accusations by several people against Dr. Robert E. Anderson at Michigan immediately called to mind claims DiSabato and hundreds of other men made about Dr. Richard Strauss at Ohio State. The two cases had striking similarities. Two physicians, both dead for years, are now accused of using their positions to abuse male athletes and students.
Both men worked in athletics and student health care, were well-regarded during long tenures and at some point focused on researching or treating genital ailments.
“It’s unbelievable, yet totally believable,” DiSabato said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Former athletes have alleged that both doctors performed inappropriate or unnecessary exams. They said some athletes joked and warned each other about the behavior but did not challenge it because they were embarrassed, unsure of the medical necessity or unwilling to risk jeopardizing their spot on a team. They recalled nicknames for the physicians like “Dr. Jelly Paws” and “Dr. Drop Your Drawers.”