Background
In August 2018, Urban Meyer, Ohio State head football coach, faced scrutiny for his handling of
domestic violence allegations against a long-time assistant coach and friend, Zach Smith. In 2009, while
Coach Meyer was head coach at Florida and Smith was a graduate assistant, Smith was arrested for
aggravated battery against his wife, Courtney. At that time, Meyer and his wife, Shelley, attempted to
help the couple by getting them into counseling. Then in 2015, Zach Smith had two reports filed against
him for domestic abuse, felonious assault, and stalking, but no charges were filed. It was not known at
the time if Coach Meyer was aware of these reports. Zach and Courtney divorced in November 2015.
In mid-July 2018, Zach Smith appeared in a Delaware municipal court to face charges of trespassing, and
two days after that, Courtney filed a protection order against Zach. Three days after the protection
order was filed, news broke about the 2009 and 2015 reports of domestic violence and OSU fired Zach
Smith. The day after Zach was fired, Coach Meyer spoke at the Big Ten Media Days and claimed to not
know about the 2015 reports.
A week later, news broke that Coach Meyer did know about the 2015 reports, and Courtney Smith did
an interview where she claimed that Shelley Meyer also knew about the 2015 reports. Additionally,
several news outlets reported that Courtney had sent Shelley pictures and texts about the domestic
violence incidents. That same day, OSU put Coach Meyer on paid administrative leave.
The next day, the OSU board of trustees hired an independent group to investigate. The investigation
concluded two weeks later, in late August 2018, with a report that sought to answer the following
questions:
A. In the hiring, retaining, supervising and firing of former Assistant Coach Zach Smith, did Head Coach
Urban Meyer violate any Ohio State University policies or rules, Title IX, NCAA rules, Big Ten Rules, Ohio
State Ethics laws, any other state or federal laws, or his contractual obligations to OSU in connection
with Zach Smith’s alleged commission of domestic violence against his former wife, including any
obligations to report the alleged domestic violence?
B. When Head Coach Urban Meyer spoke at Big Ten Media Days on July 24, 2018 about the firing of Zach
Smith on July 23, 2018, did he misrepresent his knowledge of a law enforcement investigation of Zach
Smith in 2015 for possible domestic violence and, if so, did he do so intentionally?
C. What was the role of Athletic Director Gene Smith in the above events and did he engage in conduct
violative of any laws, rules, policies, or his contractual obligations to OSU in connection with those
events?
After the investigation concluded, the OSU Board of Trustees met for over eleven hours to discuss the
findings. They decided to suspend Meyer without pay for the first three games of the season, and they
also suspended AD Gene Smith without pay for the same period (August 31-September 18).
More specifically, the report found that Associate Athletic Director Brian Voltolini and Meyer discussed
shortly after the story broke "whether the media could get access to Coach Meyer's phone, and
specifically how to adjust the settings on Meyer's phone so that text messages older than one year
would be deleted.” The report also said that there were no text messages older than a year old on
Meyer’s phone when he turned it over to the investigative team. ESPN points out, “While that is not an
admission of guilt, the investigators found it ‘nonetheless concerning that his first reaction to a negative
media piece exposing his knowledge of the 2015-16 law enforcement investigation was to worry about
the media getting access to info and discussing how to delete messages older than one year.’”
The report also concluded that "Although neither Urban Meyer nor Gene Smith condoned or covered up
the alleged domestic abuse by Zach Smith, they failed to take sufficient management action relating to
Zach Smith's misconduct and retained an Assistant Coach who was not performing as an appropriate
role model for OSU student-athletes.” OSU also said, "Permitting such misconduct to continue is not
consistent with the values of the University and reflects poorly on Coach Meyer, Athletic Director Smith,
and the University. Their handling of this matter did not exhibit the kind of leadership and high
standards that we expect of our Athletic Director, Head Coach, Assistant Coaches and all on the football
staff."
A full and detailed timeline of these events is available here.
Meyer has since been criticized for failing to adequately apologize to Courtney Smith; while he has
repeatedly apologized for “mishandling” the situation, he only apologized directly to Courtney Smith
after he was prompted by ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi to do so in an interview. This has also caused
critics to speculate that Coach Meyer still isn’t focused on Courtney Smith and has not changed his
attitude about his role in the situation. It has also called into question Meyer’s core values that he tries
to instill in his players, which are painted on the weightlifting wall at OSU: 1. Honesty; 2. Respect
women.
In the same ESPN interview, Rinaldi asked Coach Meyer, “When it comes to the program’s core value of
treating women with respect, who respected and protected Courtney Smith?” Coach Meyer responded,
“That’s a tough question. Now that all the information’s out — now that I’ve learned more. If I fire him
at the time, sever that relationship, and I see these two young kids — that’s the way I’ve always thought
— how do you help stabilize something? And at the time I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Coach Meyer knew Zach Smith was troubled, and he wanted to show compassion and help him with
Smith’s issues, which, Meyer now admits, may have hampered his ability to see the situation clearly.
Meyer also now admits he should’ve fired Zach Smith sooner than he did. In a press conference on
September 17, Meyer said that this has tarnished the reputation of OSU’s football program.
In addition to these two core values Meyer espouses, there are OSU’s mission, vision, and values. OSU’s
values include excellence, diversity in people and ideas, inclusion, access and affordability, innovation,
collaboration, and integrity, transparency, and trust. Then there is the Athletic Department’s mission
statement and core values.
Athletic department’s mission statement: We foster a culture that provides the opportunity to develop
our student athletes through success in academics and competition to achieve excellence in life.
Athletic department’s core values:
Integrity: We will act with integrity and personal accountability.
Education: We will educate each student-athlete with quality academic, competitive, leadership and
social experiences to build a sense of responsibility and foster an appreciation for life-long learning.
People: We will keep the well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff at the core of every
decision.
Excellence: We will excel in performance, achievement and service.
Respect: We will celebrate a climate of mutual respect and diversity by recognizing each individual’s
contribution to the team.
Innovation: We will encourage innovation, develop a curious mindset and embrace change.
Community: We will enhance the lives of those in our university, city and state communities by helping
and paying forward to others.
Tradition: We will build upon our traditions which have been developed throughout our proud history.
Practice of Ethical Leadership
Ann Skeet, senior director of Leadership Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, developed a
Practice of Ethical Leadership. Using this model, we can ask the overall question: How is Meyer
practicing ethical leadership? Additionally, we can consider what we learn about his character through
his actions.
Along with character as a cornerstone for anyone’s practice of ethical leadership, we can look at the five
additional ethical leadership practices Skeet identifies as a way to explore whether Meyer’s actions are
enhancing his impact as an ethical leader in his role as Ohio State head coach.
Creating Community: Did his handling of the incident promote positive relationships between key
stakeholders? Did it encourage a sense of connectedness and shared values for OSU players, employees,
and the OSU community?
ANSWER: Coach Smith's decision to suspend player Ray Buford and dismiss players Carlton Djam and
Dior Johnson demonstrated a strong stance against sexual assault and misconduct. This could potentially
promote positive relationships between OSU and other institutions or individuals who prioritize safety
and respect in their interactions. Additionally, taking a hard line against these behaviors might
encourage a sense of shared values among players and employees at OSU who understand that such
actions are not tolerated.
Encouraging Ethical Conduct: Did Coach Meyer openly acknowledge that his decision was based in ethics
and morality? Did he reframe the issues to highlight the ethics of the situation? Did he revisit with his
team their code of conduct and their core values and acknowledge where he might not have followed
it? (Also worthing thinking about: Did the OSU Board of Trustees frame their suspension of Coach Meyer
and AD Smith around the mission and the core values of OSU?)
ANSWER: In regards to Coach Meyer's handling of the incident, it is unclear whether he openly
acknowledged that his decision was based on ethics and morality or reframed the issues to highlight the
ethics of the situation. It is also unclear whether he revisited the team's code of conduct and core values
and acknowledged where he might not have followed it.
However, it is worth noting that the OSU Board of Trustees did frame their suspension of Coach Meyer
and AD Smith around the mission and core values of OSU. In their statement regarding the suspension,
the Board of Trustees emphasized their commitment to upholding the values of honesty, integrity, and
accountability in all aspects of the university's operations. They also stated that the suspension was
necessary to ensure that the football program at OSU remained consistent with the university's values
and expectations for its employees and students.
Showing Discipline in One’s Role: Did Coach Meyer explicitly accept responsibility for the incident and
provide direction for a course correction? Did he show he understands what his role is in creating a
culture that values honesty and respects women? Did his actions show he understands his role as an
educator as outlined in OSU’s mission statement and the Athletic Department’s mission statement?
ANSWER: Coach Meyer did accept responsibility for the incident and provided direction for a course
correction during his press conference following the suspension. He stated that he should have done
more and that he takes responsibility for not being as accurate and as complete as he should have been
at media day regarding the situation. He also stated that he regrets the way he handled the situation
and that he understands his role in creating a culture that values honesty and respects women.
In terms of understanding his role as an educator, Coach Meyer acknowledged that he had a
responsibility to teach and educate his players about the importance of treating women with respect
and honesty. He also stated that he plans to use this situation as a teachable moment for himself and his
team.
While the OSU Board of Trustees did not explicitly frame their suspension of Coach Meyer and AD Smith
around the mission and core values of OSU, their decision did align with the university's commitment to
integrity and ethical behavior. The university has a code of conduct for all students and employees,
which includes expectations for honesty, respect, and responsibility. The suspension of Coach Meyer
and AD Smith was a clear indication that the university takes these expectations seriously and holds its
employees accountable for their actions.
Clarifying Culture: Did Coach Meyer clarify his values and OSU’s values in his apology and with his
subsequent actions? Did the coach use his two values (honesty and respect women) as the cornerstone
of his decision making when dealing with Zach Smith? Did Meyer’s actions align with OSU’s mission and
vision? Did his actions embody OSU’s core values and the core values of the athletic department? Did
he identify gaps between stated and actual values? Did Coach Meyer’s apology help OSU players and
Athletic Department staff figure out if their personal values align with the organization’s?
ANSWER: In his apology, Coach Meyer did clarify his values and OSU's values by stating that he did not
exhibit the values he teaches his players and staff. He acknowledged that he did not uphold the values
of honesty and respect towards women, which are core values of OSU and the Athletic Department.
Additionally, he stated that he takes full responsibility for his actions and the consequences that
followed.
However, it is unclear whether Coach Meyer used his values as the cornerstone of his decision making
when dealing with Zach Smith, as he did not explicitly state this in his apology. Moreover, his actions
leading up to the incident suggest that he may not have prioritized these values when dealing with
Smith.
It is also worth noting that the OSU Board of Trustees framed their suspension of Coach Meyer and AD
Smith around the mission and core values of OSU, indicating that their actions aligned with the
organization's mission and values. However, it is unclear whether Coach Meyer's subsequent actions
fully embodied these values.
Overall, while Coach Meyer's apology did clarify his and OSU's values, his actions leading up to the
incident suggest disconnect between stated and actual values. Therefore, it may be difficult for OSU
players and Athletic Department staff to fully assess whether their personal values align with the
organizations.
Designing Ethical Systems: Did Coach Meyer’s actions have impact beyond OSU? Did they set a positive
precedent for other athletic departments to follow? Did his apology create a conversation about how to
handle domestic violence accusations in college athletics? How do his apology and the subsequent
follow-up actions compare to other athletic departments that have faced similar problems? What is the
role for OSU and the NCAA in response to this chain of events?
ANSWER: Coach Urban Meyer's handling of the Zach Smith domestic violence incident at Ohio State
University raised questions about his leadership, ethics, and values. While his actions did not always
align with OSU's mission and values, he did eventually accept responsibility and take corrective actions,
which had a positive impact on the university community. The incident also prompted broader
conversations about how to handle domestic violence accusations in college athletics, and OSU's
response set a positive precedent for other athletic departments to follow.