COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) - Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer will miss the first three games of the season after being suspended without pay by the school for not reporting abuse allegations.
After a meeting Wednesday lasting almost 12 hours, the Ohio State Board of Trustees along with university President Michael Drake said Meyer and Athletic Director Gene Smith did not take enough action in 2015 regarding allegations of domestic abuse by an assistant coach.
Investigators found that Meyer knew of the allegations involving Zach Smith dating back to 2015, and didn't report it as required.
At the same time, the report noted Meyer and Smith did not cover up or condone the reported abuse.
Smith was also suspended without pay until September 16th.
Meyer told reporters at a Wednesday night press conference that he gave Zach Smith the benefit of the doubt and followed his heart and not his head.
Meyer will miss OSU's games against Oregon State on September 1, the September 8th game against Rutgers, and the September 15th game against TCU.
Late Wednesday, Zach Smith's attorney tweeted “Zach Smith married a woman he should not have married. Vengeance against her ex-husband regrettably resulted in collateral damage to Urban Meyer, Gene Smith & The Ohio State University. Trying cases in the media is a dangerous precedent for every other coach in America.”
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