Courtney Smith's lawyer: My client has never been contacted by Ohio State

Nick Bromberg

The lawyer for Courtney Smith said in a statement Tuesday that Courtney was not contacted by Ohio State University regarding the domestic abuse allegations against Zach Smith in 2015.

Zach Smith, the school’s former wide receivers coach, was fired July 23, days after Courtney filed for a protection order against him and hours after domestic abuse allegations from 2009 and 2015 were revealed. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is currently on paid administrative leave as the school investigates the way the 2015 accusation was handled within the football program.

“As her attorney, I can tell you that Ms. Smith is cautiously optimistic that the Ohio State University’s investigative committee will determine if proper reporting protocol was followed upon learning of the ongoing abuse allegations against Zach Smith,” attorney Julia Leveridge said. “We believe the University must prioritize the safety and well-being of others above all else. While the Ohio State University has never contacted Ms. Smith to discuss these allegations, she will fully cooperate with the university’s current investigation.”

The 2015 allegation happened while Zach Smith was at Ohio State and he told multiple media outlets last week that he was on the road recruiting and was told by Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith to come back to Columbus after the accusation was made to police.

Zach Smith wasn’t charged in either 2009 or 2015. Courtney Smith told Stadium that she believed Meyer knew of the 2015 allegations and that she told Meyer’s wife Shelley and the wives of other Ohio State staffers about the accusation.

Meyer initially denied that he knew anything about the 2015 accusation before issuing a statement Friday that reversed course. Meyer blamed his initial lies on inadequate preparation in the statement and said he reported the 2015 accusation to the proper channels.

A sad rally with 200 people was held in Columbus on Monday to support Meyer. Many of the attendees at the rally had signs blaming ESPN, a media company that has had little role in the original reporting of the saga.

Courtney Smith’s attorney also felt the need to “set the record straight” about her client, including in the statement that Courtney was not paid for her interviews with Stadium, has tried to press charges against Zach and that Courtney has never committed a criminal offense.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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