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Courtney Smith: Ohio State Never Contacted Me About Abuse Claims

In this Sept. 17, 2016, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, right, and then-assistant coach Zach Smith, left, gesture from the sidelines during an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
Sue Ogrocki
/
Associated Press

The ex-wife of fired assistant football coach Zach Smith says Ohio State University officials never contacted her to discuss domestic abuse allegations.

Courtney Smith alleged that she told the wife of head coach Urban Meyer about an incident with her then-husband in 2015. Zach Smith was arrested and charged with domestic violence, but the charges were later dropped.

Meyer, who was required to report the allegations if he knew, was suspended last week while the university investigates his contradicting statements. Meyer later released a statement saying he followed “proper reporting protocols," and apologized for saying he didn't know about the 2015 incident.

Smith's attorney Julia Leveridge released a written statement Tuesday morning saying that university officials did not reach out to her client about the incident.

Leveridge said Smith will cooperate with Ohio State’s ongoing investigation, but will have no further comments on the legal matters until they are resolved. Those include criminal trespass charges and a domestic violence civil protection order filed against Zach Smith.

Smith, the football team’s receivers coach and lead recruiter, was fired from the university in July after being charged with trespassing.

Leveridge stated that Smith has not received any compensation for any interview with reporters she has granted, and that Smith had made "concerted efforts to press charges of domestic abuse against her ex-husband."

Ohio State says its investigation into Meyer should conclude within two weeks.

Debbie Holmes has worked at WOSU News since 2009. She has hosted All Things Considered, since May 2021. Prior to that she was the host of Morning Edition and a reporter.