COLUMBUS — Thursday evening, the Ohio State University issued a release stating that a “special, independent board” had been formed by the OSU Board of Trustees and that they would directing the ongoing investigation involving currently-suspended football head coach Urban Meyer.
The release also includes the names of those members of the special working group.
Here is the entirety of the release.
Statement from The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees today formed a special, independent board working group related to the investigation involving Urban Meyer that was announced on Wednesday.
This group includes current trustees Alex Fischer, Janet Porter and Alex Shumate. Also on the panel are former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, former acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Carter Stewart.
The special working group will direct the work of the investigative team and be available to provide consultation and advice and assist with communication to the full board on the matter.
E V E R Y T H I N G.
Man, I would believe everything the media prints or says! Sue for slander and defamation of character!
Let’s just let the investigation go where it goes. Speculation about circumstance and motive is just speculation. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that no should abuse anybody, abusers have no right to expect sympathy, and the abused have a right to be heard.
Born and raised in Ohio a Buckeye. Moved to the Atlanta area where I put in twenty years in law enforcement before retiring. A few observations. I’m sure Ohio law is the same as Georgia. If you have the slightest evidence to determine a primary aggressor in a domestic incident, an arrest will be made. Why was Smith never arrested for the 2015 incidents? No evidence? What is urban suppose to do? Make a citizens arrest? The proper authorities were involved and obviously, for whatever reasons, took no action. So what did Urban cover up? Did he prevent law enforcement from conducting their investigation? Doubt it. Did he mislead their investigation? Doubt it. Did he obstruct las enforcement in any way? He hasn’t been arrested. Lastly, did Urban continue to employ Smith after he was arrested for domestic violence and fail to inform his superiors (Gene Smith). No. Then I ask again, WHAT cover up? Pure witch hunt by liberal Buckeye hating spirts media. Thanks for allowing a Georgia Buckeye to vent. Buckeyes will rise to the occasion, we always do. GO BUCKS!
“Liberal Buckeye hating spirts media.” Really? What does politics have to do with this?
It’s so glaringly obvious…..James Mills for head coach!!!
It’s more glaringly obvious that you are a mega retard.
A sudden thought occured. I know, that’s scary, and it really is. Has Courtney Smith been working with officials AT Ohio State to spring a trap on Urban Meyer?
It’s late James. Get some sleep.
You could be right. BUT, I was actually IN bed when the thought occurred to me. That’s one way to to get out of paying a single person 38+ million dollars. Stranger things have happened, and since nobody wanted to talk about Buckeye football, I figured I’d raise the question.
G’night Chris…………….lol
The Buckeyes take to the practice field tomorrow……….THAT is the only news we need to talk about.
With a crew like that, it could take months. It should only take a week. This isn’t that complicated.
Actually this is the only move osu could make, I hope they have more of an outside presence than is currently being reported. It should all be independent of osu, so there is no bias of protection for the coach. If myer keeps his job, at least the investigation will have been complete and thorough. That won’t stop the haters of osu, and myer from claiming coverup and it was just a whitewash from the beginning. For people that don’t believe in conspiracies and protectionism and coverups, an outside investigation and whatever the outcome, not matter what side of the issue you are on, it will be just. That’s all anyone should really ask for.
This is now real. Two things, this group is being used first and foremost to totally exonerate Urban or if Urban goes down to show major cooperation. While I listened to the media in their self righteous indignation rip apart Urban, the interesting thing is that the media said nothing in regards to Shelley, as she is a mandatory reporter. The media also said nothing about OSU as they too are culpable and also about all the other OSU assistants whose husbands probably would of should of known as well and are mandatory reporters. My hunch is that Courtney is going to be shown to be the culprit in this narrative. Don’t misinterpret me, I feel for her abuse, however, why didn’t she report Urban’s and OSU’s negligence from the get go, and why did she need a reporter to pull this from her?
Good points, Kurt. To answer your question, with Zach now out of work and unemployed, I’m thinking she needs some sort of publicity and a pay day! That would explain the timing. If she is shown to a crazy psycho, then it’s just a simple shame that the OSU program got dragged into their train wreck marriage.
Kurt, under title IX, a mandatory reporter is required to report sex based discrimination, sexual harrassment or sexual violence and child sexual abuse. Not sure of her response to these or if it even applies, in this case.
No one, and I mean no one, is going to paint the victim-alleged, as the culprit in this case.
I wonder sometimes if anyone thinks before they write, or do they just shoot from the hip and let the lead end up where ever it ends up?
We only know her as the victim because of what she has said and shown us. This does not make her the victim though, facts make someone a victim.
If you are believing her at her word, and not looking into any of her allegations… then she might look like a victim. But if you think about most domestic issues, very rarely is one side at 100% fault… and if you factor in that he’s never been charged with anything… I think it’s safe to say there is blame to go around, herself included. Then throw on the fact that his lawyer has basically said the police will confirm his side of the events… More and more she seems less and less credible…
The final thing in my side is, there is no way Shelly or Urban would allow something like she is accusing Zach of doing. That is just my opinion, as I do not know either of them, but if you factor in the possibility that neither of them knew who to believe because of conflicting stories… I can easily see Urban and Shelly getting caught in this trap.
All that being said, if he lied and covered it up… fire that man.
Good point!
No one knows the whole story. Suppose we find out that Shelley had a follow-up conversation with Courtney, at which time Courtney said things calmed down and to hold off telling Urban? Does that seem so implausible? She apparently put up with this for years in order to protect Zach’s job. So maybe she was doing that again? Let all the facts come to light.
Jim you are right, no one KNOWS anything. Shelly very well could have decided to keep it in confidence as friend of Courtneys…or maybe she had foresight to know it was best to NOT bring Urban into it for fear of these sort of shenanigans.
And maybe Courtney is just vindictive and weaponizes 911 and calls to police as a way to get back at her X. Maybe she makes baseless claims just to make his life hell and that is why she has never gone through with pressing charges, etc! Maybe she is just as much a demon as Zach is being portrayed. Maybe…
Stop blaming the woman you fucking asshole! If one thing is crystal clear it is Zach Smith abused his wife.
Shut up chump.
Rick-Actually nothing is crystal clear in this case, to my knowledge he’s not up on any abuse charges, unless they are allowed to go retroactive, which doesn’t seem too likely. She had her chance to nail him numerous times and chose not to. That’s the only thing cystal clear here.
Oh, so Shelley Meyers is lying? The 9 police reports? The 2009 incident that prompted both Meyers to counsel the Smiths was nothing? You fanboys need to get your priorities checked.
Jim Nunn, BINGO!
Poor little ric can’t stand to consider that men have rights too. Likely angry because he couldn’t get his little ric into Ohio State and settled for a smaller weenie state school. My ex wife enjoyed spending my decent salary each year and then got caught having an affair. When the judge implied that she might not be entitled to alimony, suddenly after 20 years of ordinary marriage she cried mental and physical and produced pictures of bruises from when she fell down stairs at her parent’s home. After 18 months of fighting and two attorney bills, she lost custody of two kids, alimony, and gets child support for having them 20%. Don’t judge either party or be shocked if the alleged abuser is not one after all.
And now your an incel woman hater.
So true Mr. NUNN….Nobody knows the facts yet. I don’t think Urban Would put his career and the program in jeopardy over a receiver coach, I dont care whose grandson he is.
One hundred percent in agreement. That is why…in my opinion…Urban has coached his last game at TOSU. This university will give in to the media pressure and public outcry.
Someone has to pay and be punished for Zack Smith being excrement. It might as well be Meyer.
What a shame!
Unbelievable. OSU is so worried about putting on a good face it’s disgusting…a few months back MSU had its own issue with Izzo and Dantonio caught indirectly in the cross hairs. The administration stood firm and fast, let the media frenzy and mob die down, and Dantonio will be opening camp tomorrow. As will izzo in October.
We are so reactionary it’s pitiful. And the way we cower to the media, mob, and what we think is public perception is unbecoming.
Gene Smith is absolutely horrible in crisis! Urban should have been directed PRIOR to going to B1G Media Days to not comment on the Smith situation and offer no comment other than “he is no longer with our team and since there is a pending case court case we can comment further”. But that would have taken far more leadership and foresight than Gene The Weak has ever displayed.
I agree. This is pathetic and cowardly by the university. You can bet Gene Smith will survive this completely unscathed just like he did with Tressel. The same Gene Smith who thought it would be a good idea to send a 6-6 team to a bowl game in 2011 because the NCAA would never impose further sanctions and he had the audacity to shoot of his big mouth to that effect. Was Gene reprimanded or disciplined for such a stupid decision? And your comments about MSU are dead on. I thought for sure Izzo and Dantonio were toast. What eggregious crime has urban allegedly committed? Funny how courtney smith didnt have the courage to speak out before her whack job ex lost his $400000 job and her gravy train but now that alimony and child support are out the window she has suddenly found her voice to talk to ESPN. Why was it urbans and the wives of OSU coaches responsibility to protect her? And how convenient she just happened to save all of her text messages. Hey courtney call the police and follow up by FILING CHARGES and with PROSECUTION. But by god she had time to text and send pictures to shelley meyer. Unbelievable that two idiots like zach and courtney smith who couldnt control their personal lives and felt the need to drag everyone into their stupidity and drama are going to cost urban his job. I had hope urban would survive this but not now after I read this article. Hello 2011 my old friend we’ve come to talk to you again.
The only thing to be careful about is the ex-wife Smith motives. Just because Coach Smith lost his job just not automatically mean she won’t get alimony or child support. Every parent pays child support and in cases where income varies, most courts average across a few years. The judge can also award alimony and calculate support based on income potential so many years as a coach will count against him and they can re-calculate if Coach Smith finds lower income and PROVES that he didn’t intentionally take lesser employment in order to skirt his obligations. If he can’t immediately produce income, she could get more than fair share of their assets. Sucks to be the primary source of income sometimes.
Chris, share with us all your facts that all of OSU is guilty.
I totally agree Gene Smith sucks–he screwed up the 2021 season but letting OSU play in worthless 2011 bowl game and the politically correct way he handles this stuff is pathetic…he is the one that needs to go. i’m tired of “guilty until proven innocent” with the media in this society.