Some additional information on group assigned to investigate Meyer, etc.
Group includes former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, former acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Carter Stewart, as well as trustees Alex Fischer, Janet Porter and Alex Shumate.
Breakdown: Six members. Two females, four males. Only one Alumnus (Porter). Three current trustees, three outside voices (though Porter was former trustee). Fairly broad distribution of backgrounds and accomplishments though I'd prefer to see equal distribution of female and male. Morford is a good member for the experience in institutional/organized corruption. Checks and balances - with the hopes of impartiality - feel appropriate and stands in contrast to how MSU has approached their issues (appointing and embedding more of 'their own').
Brief bios of 'outsiders' are below with links the 'insiders' (read: current trustees) at bottom.
Jo Ann Davidson: Former member of Ohio House of Representatives. Elected Speaker of Ohio House in 1995. She was the first woman to hold this position and remained as speaker until leaving the House of Representatives in 2001. She has served on the board of trustees of The Ohio State University, Franklin University, and the University of Findlay. Source.
Craig Morford: Hope College undergrad, Valparaiso Law. Morford spent most of his career as a federal prosecutor pursuing public-corruption and organized crime cases in Cleveland, Ohio. From 1996-2002, Morford prosecuted more than 70 cases resulting in the convictions of elected officials, law enforcement officers and mob figures in northern Ohio. Source.
Carter Stewart: "A graduate of Stanford University, Columbia University and Harvard Law School, previously worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in San Jose, Calif., where he prosecuted a variety of cases including drug and gun crimes, environmental crimes, and the illegal distribution of steroids to professional athletes. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, he served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and chaired the Attorney General’s Child Exploitation Working Group and the Racial Disparities Working Group." Source.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:55 PM ^
This is not a criminal investigation. OSU can handle it this way if they want. Or they can say "we think you knew, most of the country thinks you knew, we are going to buy out your contract and go in a different direction." You don't have to agree with the other guy, but OSU also doesn't have to establish proof to fire Urban Meyer.
August 2nd, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^
If they want to fire Meyer for cause they absolutely have to establish proof. Firing someone without proof is exactly what gets you sued for breach of contract.
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:18 AM ^
You are clueless. Urban Meyer is in charge and responsible for his staff and wife. There are text messages and photos that are so 100% supporting Courtney’s claims it is damning - what is their defense ? Stupidity? Yeh right, their ass should be fried. Toast.
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:30 AM ^
If OSU reinstates Urban then Courtney will pull out the double barreled shotgun, that 12 gauge big gun. I believe she has so much shit on Meyer and the OSU program they can’t take the scornful risk of a rightious victim. She was abused and someone is going to pay.
"What's the proof that Meyer knew?"
They probably need proof to fire him with cause.
They do not need proof to fire him without cause. That just costs them more money.
Either he knew and lied - or he didn't know, which means he ran an organization which was set up to avoid him having culpability by being intentionally uninformed.
Both deserve losing his job.
While forming this committee is preparation for an extensive investigation, I don't think one is actually anticipated. Meticulously combing through nine years of evidence is pointless if the initial interview with Meyer gives enough to recommend his termination. Worse than pointless, really.
I think the committee should have been given a mandate of what actions would constitute grounds for termination. That would make for a much cleaner process than the alternatives. It also makes it more likely that Meyer steps down.
The crux of the matter is whether Meyer lied about his knowledge of the 2015 incident. If so, then he violated a clause in his contract and lied about it. That allegation is why he's on leave now. As a practical matter, that's all they want to find in order to dismiss Meyer.
The alternative is very messy. Say they find Meyer lied about that, but they need more. Then they have to investigation every contact he had regarding the 2015 incident. Did he involve his assistant coaches? Support staff? Did he ask someone to try and persuade her not to press charges? Did he ask others not to report what they knew? Did he use his connections with the authorities? And that's not nearly the end of a thorough investigation, as you point out. You only go through that if you want to clean house.
I have a hard time seeing OSU going down that path I might be wrong, but I think they already decided to fire Meyer and are just going through the necessary motions. Other than exoneration, the best result for OSU and for Meyer would be his admission that he should have known. He'll take responsibility without admitting lies and they'll negotiate a settlement.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:03 PM ^
Two reasons an investigation like this takes time...
1. There are tens of millions at play. Getting the facts straight and talking to every person you can find with relevant knowledge is important when you are looking for a reason to fire for cause, thereby escaping the obligations to pay the rest of Meyer's contract.
2. If you want to take the path of keeping Meyer you need to make it look like you spent a lot of time looking under every rock (even if you did not) so that it looks like your reasons for keeping him might be legit (even if they are not).
August 2nd, 2018 at 11:27 PM ^
OSU is on the hook for $38,000,000 if they fire Urban. If they can prove he violated a clause or clauses in his contract, which I'm sure this committee will be reviewing thoroughly, they are in the clear. One of those clauses involves reporting incidents that fall under "intimate violence".
Wagon Circlers. They may as well have had Ted Strickland lead them.
At least it’s not a John Engler equivalent
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:21 PM ^
This seems like a better initial move. Engler was hired to protect MSU from liability; it's less clear what this group is delegated to do.
You need to fess up on the "not 2018, but further on" sting rumor, man.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:24 PM ^
The fact 3.0 didn’t add a DM option is sad for situations like this
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:31 PM ^
Yeah. Well, I can play the coy game: Would I be off track thinking that the rumor you heard regards a position where there is apparently a clear starter but three guys backing him up with some hype, including a guy redshirting this year that's getting a fair amount of hype, suggesting maybe that not all three of the backups will be on the roster next fall?
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:35 PM ^
Not so much honestly. Someone who could make a rotational impact this year and step into a starting role next year at a position which has been our strongest since Harbaugh arrived
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:39 PM ^
Well that's not good.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:40 PM ^
Doesn't totally narrow it down (one could argue there are two different areas this could apply to) but it does help clarify. thnx.
I’m not the joker. The biggest _______ in comic book history. Here’s your hint
That's funny, I thought you were the guy in green overalls I keep nailing in Mario Kart.
Well that's really bad news, if true.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:18 PM ^
Is this the same Morford? http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/law-finance-governance/event/craig-morford/
Because according to that, he teaches at Ohio State in what passes for their law school.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:21 PM ^
Sorry, I meant is this the same Carter Stewart? http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty/professor/carter-stewart/
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:21 PM ^
I find it interesting that MSU is like off brand OSU in that OSU (probably because of more "success" and attention) is better at running a dog and pony show. In fact, OSU going through this only helps MSU since the current media cycle is so ADD. I hope Izzo and Mork aren't getting off scott free...
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:30 PM ^
I've heard a group of Meyer's former Florida players are planning to come out and rally in support of him once they get out on parole.
August 3rd, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
I know you're joking but most Florida fans (and former players) wouldn't spit on Urban Meyer if he was on fire.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
Seems like a reasonable group of people to investigate Meyer. I don't think he's gone either way, but my hope is that they'll show some teeth and really dig into what happened.
August 2nd, 2018 at 10:37 PM ^
“If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much,” let’s go Hope. Good to see my alma mater represented...oh and Go Blue!
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:37 AM ^
Hope. That is all Urban has.
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:41 AM ^
I feel like 1/2 of the group being lawyers should be bad news for Meyer, but I'm not quite sure it's gonna work out that way
My Counterstrike source says that Urban is enjoying his paid time off eating pizza. He also said Meyer is planning a vacation during his pending 2 or 3 game suspension.
Why would you prefer to see an equal distribution of male and female?
August 3rd, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Men and women's experiences surrounding sexual harassment and domestic violence is different, which effects their view. That's why balance is important. (I'm ok with 4/2...)
August 3rd, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
*affects Need edit function!
I wonder if text messages and emails on public university owned phones are subject to FOIA requests?
upvoted for good use of sarcasm
Unless they find more evidence on him that lights the fire more
1. Hes probably getting a suspension for non conference games
2. probably make a huge donation to charities in the areas they violated
3. Public Apology
4. OSU fans will say hahahaha told you so
The more I see of this the more im convinced he will back
"I'd like to see an equal number of men and women"
I'd like to see the most qualified and capable people that could possibly be obtained, regardless of their sexual organs.
August 3rd, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
I live in "Enemy Territory" and all of the buzz today is how they are going to discredit the victim. Apparently in a 66 day period she called 911 like over 100 times and in a 24 hour period called it 23 times. Also they're stating that it's going to come out that she too is an alcoholic and has 3 DUI's... I've googled both of these and have seen zero information that backs this up... but there is a lot of misguided priorities down here to say the VERY least... The idea that they are going to demonize the victim just is... wrong.
August 3rd, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Listening to a recording of the WTKA Roundtable discssion of the Meyer investigation today, it was clear that the panel was conflicted on whether Meyer may have violated Title IX reporting requirements in failing to immediately report Zach Smith's spousal abuse allegations, based on new reporting showing he had prior knowledge than when he first claimed to learn about it.
It's clear from Brett McMurphy's blog report that even if that were the case, that Title IX language doesn't necessarily cover employee domestic abuse cases, that it seems more readily apparent Meyer in fact violated Ohio State policy in his handling of the Zach Smith matter.
That violation would stem from failing to disclose within a five-day period any known sexual misconduct allegation to the university's Title IX office upon first learning about it. If judged alone, based on this supervisory oversight responsibility, it would seem apparent that Meyer violated this condition of his employment given the details now in public reports showing likely prior knowledge and failure to act sooner.
The question then becomes what criteria for judgment these investigators plan to use in completion of their inquiry on Meyer's action and whether he should be fired for cause, suspended or punished without dismissal.
Any federal law or state policy would necessarily embody an ethical underpinning in the manner in which certain work requirements are set and expected to be enforced by those covered under them.
But will the school itself respect its own policy requirements it claims governs all employees of The Ohio State University. This comes down to an integrity test for these investigators and the university itself. Will they recommend firing the state's highest paid employee and one of the nation's best and well-known coaches for violation of its own work rules should the evidence support that conclusion?
Curiously, the makeup of the investigatory group is six members, an even number, meaning if they were to individually vote on a conclusion and it came up a tie, there would be no tie-breaker. That decision would presumably be left to the university president, which, in all likelihood, will be in any case.
Frankly, I don't see how Meyer resurrects himself based on the lie he told the media in Chicago last week about his prior knowledge of the Smith case. But I'm sure he'll hire a capable attorney to give him a remarkable defense and craft an appropriate alibi to satisfy his state employers. Not really counting on Ohio State justice here, just a good legal show.
I just read up on the history of President Drake, and he doesn't strike me as the type to let something like this slide just because Meyer is a good football coach. Everything below would indicate to me he's inclined to take a hard line in this case:
He came to OSU in 2014, so he inherited Smith and Meyer (so he does not owe them extra loyalty as his hires).
He has already been through a "scandal" when he fired the band director over a overly-sexual culture, so he obviously cares enough to fight through the opposition.
Prior to coming to OSU, he spent his entire career in California, at schools without major athletics - UCI and UCSF.