Ohio State University announced Wednesday it has placed head football coach Urban Meyer on paid leave while the school investigates accusations that he knew about a 2015 domestic violence allegation against former assistant football coach Zach Smith.
Smith's ex-wife, Courtney Smith, told Stadium that several people close to Meyer, including his wife, Shelley, were aware of Zach Smith's alleged abuse of her, and she believes Meyer "knew, and instead he chose to help the abuser and enable the abuser and believe whatever story Zach was telling everybody." In July, Zach Smith was charged with criminal trespassing after dropping his children off at Courtney Smith's house, an event that led to his firing. After Smith was let go, Meyer said he didn't know about the 2015 police investigation into domestic violence by his assistant coach. Courtney Smith also said that following an altercation in 2009, she was told by Hiram DeFries, special assistant to Meyer, not to pursue charges of domestic violence against her then-husband.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliamentTHE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
How to do the 75 Hard trend the soft wayThe Week Recommends The 75 Soft Challenge might be more your speed if you're trying to hit a soft reset
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining HouseSpeed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
-
Canada beats US in charged 4 Nations hockey finalSpeed Read 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted after the game
-
Eagles trounce Chiefs in Super Bowl LIXspeed read The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22
-
Indian teen is youngest world chess championSpeed Read Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, unseated China's Ding Liren
-
Europe roiled by attacks on Israeli soccer fansSpeed Read Israeli fans supporting the Maccabi Tel Aviv team clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters in 'antisemitic attacks,' Dutch authorities said
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World SeriesSpeed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA DraftSpeed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA titleSpeed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
-
Iowa's Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA scoring recordspeed read College basketball star Caitlin Clark set the new record in Iowa's defeat of Ohio State
