Disturbing Texts Between Courtney Smith And OSU Head Coach Urban Meyer’s Wife Released
Days ago, the Inquisitr reported that Ohio State University head coach Urban Meyer and Athletics Director Gene Smith have been punished by the university for failing to appropriately react to former assistant coach Zach Smith’s domestic violence and inappropriate behavior. Today, texts that were exchanged between Courtney Smith and the wife of Urban Meyer, Shelley Meyer, were made public and erase any doubt that the domestic violence taking place in Zach Smith’s home was not a secret.
Among the texts is one in which Shelley Meyer asks Courtney Smith how she’s doing and expresses that she’s “so sick that you have to suffer with this crap.” Saturday Down South published the texts in which Shelley responds that she knows she should have left long ago for herself and her children. Shelley goes further and expresses the extent of her concern when she asks Courtney if she has obtained a restraining order because “he scares me.”
The conversation is chilling as Courtney goes on to explain her frustration with the legal system that she feels doesn’t do much in domestic violence situations.
“It’s hard bc you have to prove immediate danger. Legal system is tough. Basically you have to prove he will kill u to get a protective order,” she said. Even more chilling is Shelley’s reference to photos that prove abuse.
Shelley Meyer's Texts to Courtney Smith Released, 'Zach Smith Scares Me' https://t.co/XNHr9RAZAq
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 28, 2018
The story told in the texts is both sad and infuriating to many, infuriating as Courtney describes a system she believes failed her and infuriating as the texts seem to provide evidence that confirms the reason Urban Meyer and Gene Smith are being punished; Zach Smith’s domestic violence was well known but not addressed by anyone at Ohio State University. Courtney talks about her fear for whoever he becomes involved with in his next relationship and says he tried to pay her to stay quiet.
Also included in records released by Ohio State University today is an arrest record, according to My Dayton Daily News. The arrest happened in 2009. Zach and Courtney Smith were living in Florida at the time. Zach worked for Urban Meyer at the University of Florida and was arrested on charges of domestic violence. The charges were later dropped. Records related to another incident involving law enforcement were also released. Those documents show that police officers in Powell responded to a call about Zach banging on Courtney’s door and looking in windows at her home in 2017. An email was also made public that indicates Zach Smith was in a drug treatment center in 2015. He left the program early and never returned.