OT: Shat is hitting the fan in Columbus
- Thread starter LACatFan
- Start date
You may actually have some degree of responsibility to investigate as an employer.
Listen to Courtney Smith’s entire interview especially the ~16 minute mark when she essentially admits she went out of her way to hide evidence/allegations of physical abuse (although certainly not the general toxicity of her marriage) until 2018 for fear her husband/ex-husband would lose his job. She also essentially admits she decided to be more outspoken in her allegations of abuse now that she’s been drained of her funds (and thus more desperate) and her ability to fight an ongoing legal/divorce battle has dwindled. This is heartbreaking stuff, but also simultaneously reduces her credibility when it comes to claiming that others (beyond her asshole husband) knew what went on in her marriage.
Tell me Urban, his wife, or any other wife/coaching staff member did anything wrong based on this full interview in its full context. (She still loves all the OSU coaching wives including Mrs. Meyer for their emotional support.)
I have zero doubt Urban Meyer was very fond of Zack and Courtney Smith and perhaps some of that was shaded by his loyalty/friendship to Earl Bruce (Zack’s grandpa). Beyond that, Courtney gives a very plausible explanation about why those on OSU’s staff (and their wives) would think that Zack Smith was a bad husband for working too hard for Urban (and OSU), but there’s a ton of material to suggest Urban (and staff/wives) would have no information about physical abuse. There’s a good deal of information there to suggest there was a terrible marriage along with little to no actual physical abuse. The details about physical abuse were surprisingly broad/generic when other bad marriage details (e.g., infidelity, drunk dudes on my sofa, baseball bat to my car, stressed out husband, etc.) were more specific.
By the way, I hate OSU and I hope Urban Meyer gets fired because he’s a great coach and it takes a terrible coach to make OSU average again.
My honest guess, and it's just a guess, of how this all went:
Urban knew Smith had problems at home...slept in the office, stressed, etc. Younger member of the staff...mentor him, support him.
Urban's wife tells him a gentler version of what Smith's wife told her. Urban is 20% sympathetic, 40% defensive, and 40% man-splaining to his wife that they're a young couple dealing with the pressures of coaching life. "You remember how it was with us. I'll talk to him."
Urban is the CEO of a football program with over 100 players, countless assistant coaches and staff, and their families...he's responsible for acknowledging literally hundreds of people. He spares a quick second to warmly ask Smith's wife how things are going. She says ok, knowing it's the equivalent of being asked "how was your weekend?" on Monday by a co-worker in the office - he doesn't want to hear your bad news. He pats himself on the back for remembering to give her the time of day. Onto the next thing.
...Anyone who has ever been a manager of many staff, along with an endless stream problems to solve at work knows you don't go looking for trouble because there's more than enough to worry about without seeking more. In this respect, I'm actually a little sympathetic to Urbs. But honestly and hopefully, this is a turning point in what we consider priorities. If one of the all-time greatest coaches in the history of college football might be in jeopardy because he didn't really care about whether or not one of his assistants may or may not be physically harming his spouse, as long as it didn't interfere with the program...well...if Urban is on the ropes, then literally everyone else in college football should think twice about what they ignore, and what they prioritize. Sadly, the case of Joe Paterno wasn't enough.
Urban knew Smith had problems at home...slept in the office, stressed, etc. Younger member of the staff...mentor him, support him.
Urban's wife tells him a gentler version of what Smith's wife told her. Urban is 20% sympathetic, 40% defensive, and 40% man-splaining to his wife that they're a young couple dealing with the pressures of coaching life. "You remember how it was with us. I'll talk to him."
Urban is the CEO of a football program with over 100 players, countless assistant coaches and staff, and their families...he's responsible for acknowledging literally hundreds of people. He spares a quick second to warmly ask Smith's wife how things are going. She says ok, knowing it's the equivalent of being asked "how was your weekend?" on Monday by a co-worker in the office - he doesn't want to hear your bad news. He pats himself on the back for remembering to give her the time of day. Onto the next thing.
...Anyone who has ever been a manager of many staff, along with an endless stream problems to solve at work knows you don't go looking for trouble because there's more than enough to worry about without seeking more. In this respect, I'm actually a little sympathetic to Urbs. But honestly and hopefully, this is a turning point in what we consider priorities. If one of the all-time greatest coaches in the history of college football might be in jeopardy because he didn't really care about whether or not one of his assistants may or may not be physically harming his spouse, as long as it didn't interfere with the program...well...if Urban is on the ropes, then literally everyone else in college football should think twice about what they ignore, and what they prioritize. Sadly, the case of Joe Paterno wasn't enough.
I hate to be so cynical, but this makes a lot of sense based on what Courtney Smith chose to emphasize in her interview.
I was with you entirely until you brought up Urban Meyer’s duties. I certainly hope he cares about his staff and family, but I do not want a coach to be given the duty/task of investigating bad marriages by members of his staff. They’re not terribly uncommon...
Investigating an assistant coach’s bad marriage also ought not ever be mentioned in the same ball park as investigating an assistant coach’s numerous amorous infatuations with children.
In statements under oath? That will likely be an important point and as others have suggested there could be a grey area where his statements (if not under oath) rose to the level of interfering with a legal investigation - but that seems to be speculation at this point.
Last I heard, they do not swear in B1G coaches before the B1G media day. If they did, it would be a far more interesting event.
Perjury or obstruction of justice are things Urban does not have to worry about if he was less than truthful...
I agree, but the question is always, “To what degree?” I don’t think any one of us want our employers investigating our actions beyond what is public information. In this case, the case was sealed, and the charges were dropped, so there was title that the employer could access.
It’s been mentioned that according to Title IX, it is the responsibility of the employer to report sexual assault or violence. That may be one of the factors that saves or ends Meyer’s job. Did he report it to Gene Smith? If he does, that shifts the onus to the University, if not, he may be culpable.
As I stated earlier, Meyer may also be let go due to negative publicity to the University.
The third thing is ironically something that got me banned for saying on the PSU BWI board. I said, “I don’t think that Paterno encouraged or thought sexual assault on children was ok. I don’t know if he actively or even passively covered anything up. He may be completely innocent, but sometimes, the guy in charge just has to take the fall.” That May apply here as well.
You are correct that it is a question of degree. But we simply don't know what rumors were abound, and sometimes even rumors require a look into things, even if cursory. I am not saying they did here - I have no idea - just talking about employer responsibilities generally.
To fire someone for something that happened 3 YEARS AGO is pretty bad. Then to fire him only because the incident was becoming public is hypocritical. Finally lying about what you knew and when you knew it.
It kind of reminds me of the ray rice incident. The NFL gave him a suspension but AFTER the tape went viral, they effectively ended Rice’s career.
Well, here's how it was handled on a newspaper I once worked for. We had a jerk of a reporter whom was beating on his wife. Did we actually see him do it? No. But his wife, who had immigrated from Brazil, had talked to other wives at the paper and it was obvious what was going on. When this got to the city editor, the guy was immediately called in and told in no uncertain terms that he would be canned if even a hint of a domestic violence incident got back to the editor. Eventually, the wife managed to slip out of the house and vanish into the hinterlands while the jerk was at work. He was later fired anyway for a completely unrelated reason.
Too bad you're clear out there. I was going to invite you to a Ship game if you were anywhere near.
Look on the bright side. ND might actually have the confidence to recruit on their own and stop offering all of ours.
Hang in there.
Stay under cover and don't reveal yourself.
We will be there to extract as soon as practical.
Godspeed and don't forget your training in case you are exposed.
I get what you're saying. I'm not interested in having my work supervisor playing Big Brother and over seeing my private life but doesn't he have an obligation to protect the reputation of the program? What happens when she ends up in the hospital with a broken jaw or worse? Then it all comes out that everyone in their very tight community knew this was going on but took little or no action.
If Tressle was responsible to know about a few guys out of 100 selling their rings, Meyer certainly should have known about this. An issue far more egregious IMO.
And I would have taken you up on it. BTW I know a kid who is going to try to walk on next spring.
Now this is funny. +1
Truth be told, no one anywhere ever messes with me for rooting otherwise.
And generally they seem to love NU and Fitz around here.
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