It's Your Job To Know
[Bryan Fuller]
It doesn't matter whether Urban Meyer knew what Zach Smith did to his wife. It didn't matter if Joe Paterno knew. It didn't matter if Lou Anna Simon knew. All three of these people were or are the superiors of people who can fairly be described as evil, and we are now coming to a society-wide revelation that systems that allow abusers to continue unchecked for years are designed to do so. People in charge of massively failed systems do not get a pass because their system sucks.
Penn State was designed to allow Jerry Sandusky to continue operating well after his mysterious departure from the program. He used Penn State facilities to abuse children for years after his official departure from the staff. That departure was never explained despite requiring explanation: extremely successful 55-year old defensive coordinators do not simply evaporate from college football. Anyone poking around the edges would have found out. That it went on so long is by design.
Michigan State was—is—designed to allow Larry Nassar to operate for years even after reports started filtering up the ranks. Nassar was allowed to see patients for 16 months while he was under investigation for sex crimes. His direct superior is also a sex criminal whose behavior was reported to no avail. The Michigan State board of trustees offered their strong support for Simon even after the scope of the criminality became clear, and hired an ancient toad crony to try to sweep things under the rug.
The only way Urban Meyer did not know about Zach Smith is if his entire program is designed to keep that knowledge away from him. Saying he might not know is no defense. It is worse for Meyer if he ran the kind of program where the head coach did not know serious, damning information about one of his assistant coaches when every one of his coaches' wives knew, when the police knew, when fucking bloggers knew:
Of course he knew. He knew he was an alcoholic, he knew his marriage was in shambles and he knew that his mentor's grandson was a terrible football coach and that he was protected because of bloodline. Literally everybody knew. I knew. I wrote around it for six years.
— Ramzy Nasrallah (@ramzy) August 1, 2018
There are programs like that. There are programs where the biggest sin in the business is telling the head guy what you're up to. Jim Tressel ran a "no snitching" program, and then a lawyer with some very wrong ideas about how Ohio State wanted to run things made the cardinal mistake: he told the head guy what people were up to. The Ohio Bar gave him some misconduct runaround in the aftermath because no deed against the wishes of the program goes unpunished.
It's one thing when you don't want to know about some kid exchanging services for money. But "I don't want to know" is systemic. It spreads. Ohio State learned nothing. Their lesson from the snitching incident was never learned because that entire program was indignant that the NCAA had the temerity to enforce its "no lying to us" rules and fell ass-backwards into an elite coach who just inexplicably left a program he had two titles at. When that guy decides to import an already-established domestic abuser from his previous job, well, nobody asked you about it.
Ohio State was designed to shelter Zach Smith. Urban Meyer's programs at two different unversities were designed to shelter Zach Smith. Meyer's level of knowledge is irrelevant except in an after action report. If Urban Meyer didn't know it's because he didn't want to know. It's his job to know. It is his job to know if any of his players have a jaywalking citation. It is 1000% his job to know whether the flagship institution of the state of Ohio is accommodating a serial abuser.
It is your job to know. If you don't know, you shouldn't have a job.
Are you or have you ever been married, engaged or in a serious relationship?
This isn't exactly "Oh, by the way..." conversation material...
In other words, Gene Smith should not have been allowed to make the Meyer hire in the first place.
Alas, people will always look the other way.
Urban knew. Of course he knew.
He just didn’t care. As long as he won. Just like his time at Florida. This is the same guy that “counseled” Aaron Hernandez at Florida. He “counseled” Zach Smith and his wife. Either he didn’t do shit or he’s maybe the worst counselor ever.
Urban didn’t learn a damn thing from Florida. Maybe him getting fired and his reputation tarnished will make him learn.
But it it won’t happen. Ohio State doesn’t care. They didn’t care about Tressel’s sins until the NCAA and FBI got involved.
fantastic stuff.
I still think he finds a way to keep his job. Nothing really bad happens to MSU or OSU while Michigan always seems to get screwed.
I've probably read over 30 articles / blog posts and over 100 comments all across the web over the last two days. The above is the most interesting and well written commentary I have seen yet.
The topic of the systemic enabling of individuals is the most important issue in this case. No system of oversight within a University should allow "trusted" adults to remain active and have continued access to students when their previous crimes / behavior could have easily been publicized and curtailed years earlier.
Well done!
All this is so true... well done, Brian.
But even give all this truth, it is obvious that he HAD to have known.
Amy Lawrence eloquently spelled out on the radio today. It takes a great leap of intentional naivete, if you read the text messages between Smith and Urb's wife, Shelley. Courtney sent Shelley repeated text messages expressing fear and frustration that nothing was being done. Shelley, supposedly her friend and confidant, expressed similar dismay back to her that the police were not doing anything.
You need to somehow convince yourself that Shelley would not talk to her husband who was the abusive husband's boss. There is just no freaking way. No way.
I honestly could give a shit less about how this impacts our chances to beat those assholes. They are going to be very good in perpetuity with Urb there or not. I just want that smarmy douchebag to pay, and pay dearly, so I never have to see that loser's face ever again.
I read all the police reports. The only thing Urban heard was someone saying, "Kenneth, what is the frequency" over and over.
this is a strong post. however, i'm struggling with finding the threshold of responsibility as people become more powerful, more public, etc. If I had some issues at home, maybe an arrest or two, and my boss got wind of it, I wouldn't say it's his job to know what's going on with me 100% of the time. The difference at MSU and PSU vs. OSU is that there were dozens to hundreds of abused children and students on school property, under the banner of the program. The scope and severity of those cases is completely different than one assistant coach at a school having issues with his spouse at his home.
So, what's the threshold when it becomes your job to know? At what point does a boss/employer become responsible for the actions of their employees? Certainly not a nobody like me (or most of us) working our private jobs and going home to our private homes. Is it because it's a public institution? Is it because of the high profile of Meyer and college football? Is it because it's a repeat offense and the group of people was supposedly tight knit and there was all this mentor/mentee/idolizing/life coaching/counseling going on? i'm not sure when the line got crossed that says "ok Urban you're responsible for everything your staff does at home now."
I'm not disagreeing, I'm just processing the story and that's where i'm stumped.
When you're the highest paid public employee in the state and your contract essentially states you're a mandatory reporter. Provided the ability to direct payroll in that capacity, you have an obligation to the institution and to the state to ensure the flow of those monies is not to a known domestic abuser. That buck stops with the head coach, and IMO is a fireable offense. We'll see how it plays out.
What could potentially be much more damning is if Meyer did report to the athletic department (similar to Paterno), but the institution along with Meyer made the combined decision to keep matters quiet.
In 2009, Urban should have looked Zach Smith straight in the eye and said: "Zach, I knew Earle Bruce. He was a great coach and my mentor. You are no Earle Bruce". And fired his ass.
Plain and simple. You cannot be both a high-paid and highly visible public employee at an institution of higher learning AND a domestic abuser. Can't happen. WTF does it say to our student sisters and daughters in the State of Ohio if Ohio State University can knowingly maintain contact - let alone a contract - with a man who violently abuses women? Because...FOOTBALL???
***k that.
I agree, the MSU and PSU cases seem to be a different category because they directly involved the athletic program through use of the facilities in both cases, and student athletes and campers in the MSU case.
I don't think it is the head coach's job to monitor the personal life of every single person involved with the program. This is not even desirable.
He should “monitor” his coaching staff when he already knows from 2009 that the said employee has abused his pregnant wife.
If you counseled one of your employees—had them in your home and helped them try not have more domestic disputes—you would justify to yourself that their divorce a few years later was not something you would “monitor”?
Perhaps Harbaugh should not have fired his bff military vet after his DUI? Or the other guy they just fired?
This is about ethics, about the responsibility to be a leader of the college. The reason we have shorty leaders falls on our rationalizations that nobody is culpable for holding others to ethical standards.
The head of a company gets paid a lot of money to lead by example and to make sure his or her employees are not going to besmirch the company’s reputation.
Let’s not pretend that football coaches do not eat meals with each other, that their families do not interact, that football staffs at D1 programs tout the close knit “family” atmosphere. Does a family not know what’s happening to each other? Just last night Randy Moss said he’s glad his son was able to leave “his other family” at LSU to help enshrine his dad. My high school team had that same 123 family huddle break.
So stop with the “how was he to know” bull. If this were Harbaugh and Michigan, I’d be just as disappointed and glad the same view.
Brian and Sam Webb cut to the quick this morning! My sentiments, exactly.
Great piece, Brian. If anyone's interested in Sam's take, you can listen here:
<iframe src="https://omny.fm/shows/michigan-insider/004-calls-emails-more-on-urban-meyer-080218/embed?t=2m13s" width="100%" height="180px" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Well that didn't work...
Here's the link - https://omny.fm/shows/michigan-insider/004-calls-emails-more-on-urban-meyer-080218?t=2m28s
Nailed it. Nice work Brian.
The three greatest coaches in OSU history, Woody, Tressel and Meyer (when he inevitably gets fired, there can be no other outcome), all left in disgrace. Think about that for a minute.
I don't agree with Brian at all. He is holding Urban Meyer and the head coach of any program to an impossibly high standard, in my view. Coaching staffs at programs like Ohio State have something like 20 assistants, plus grad assistants trainers, equipment managers, etc. Why is it Urban's job to police the family relationships of every one on his staff?
And we have no idea whether Urban's wife told him about this. There are many reasons she may have kept it secret, e.g., Smith's wife may have asked her to keep it secret.
have what, 40 or 50 direct reports is hardly insane. He's not "policing their relationships", we're not expecting him to make sure none of his grad assistants cheat on their girlfriends or use too many swear words around their kids.
We're talking about being unaware that someone on Meyer's personal staff, that is probably only on the staff because of his personal relationship with Meyer, repeatedly having the cops called on him for domestic abuse.
And 10 years ago Meyer admits to “counseling” the same staff member and his wife about beating his pregnant wife. ...I mean, that’s not worth keeping two eyes on, always, from then on?
Hammered that Ramzy douchebag too.
Justice.
I would add that MSU still looks the other way in light of the rumors about Izzo and Dantonio sweeping things under the rug.
They're calling for people to dig up whatever they can on Smith's wife over on Eleven Warriors. Classy bunch over there.
How would Meyer know? For no other reason than his wife told him. But then the wives of all the coaches knew so by extension, all of those other coaches knew as well. Now it has been argued that the other coaches weren't in a position to discipline or fire Smith. Fine, and conceded. They were, however, in position to demand that the serial spouse abuser should be disciplined and or fired. They were in a position to go public, they were in a position to publicly state, that if Urban Meyer and the Ohio State University was going to allow Zachary Smith to continue his employment with the OSU without at least an investigation of the allegations, that they would tender their resignation.
If we can state categorically that Urban Meyer knew, or should have known, then we can equally state that Ed Warinner knew, or should have known. Let's not go all hypocritical with our righteous indignation before WE know the facts.
Why don't we slow down and see what happens. Urban Meyer quite likely, even probably knew. Will he throw his wife, Shelly, under the bus and plead ignorance while his wife is investigated and disciplined by OSU? Or will he man up and admit to having known, because Shelly told him, and he then willfully said and did nothing. Warinner can plead ignorance with no repercussions befalling his household, Meyer has no such luxury.
How fast is the speed of thought? The speed of emotion? A hell of a lot faster than the wheels of justice; I don't think it's hypocritical we all vent on what is a difficult situation, what else can we do? It's human nature to do so. That it happened at Ohio State makes it rawer but I think if this happened at USC (pick one) we'd still be thinking and feeling along the same lines. And waiting for the wheels of justice to turn...
He knew about 2015, there is no way he didn't at least hear rumors through his wife or someone else. It also sounds like the police knew and decided not to press any charges, so then the question is did the Meyers fulfill their reporting requirements of Title IX. I think this is probably one of the big questions the school is trying to figure out during the administrative leave right now.
If he didn't report, then yes he should obviously be fired. Without reporting, the top priority (which should be Courtney Smith's safety) cannot be guaranteed.
Assuming he did (because he might be a snake but doesn't seem to be an idiot) then his transgressions are (1) keeping Smith on staff, when he should have fired him and (2) lying about it last month. At this point I think this is Meyer's best case scenario: he can argue that keeping Smith was the best option they had (especially if firing him would hurt Courtney more). Lying to the media about it now isn't in the same realm of badness and something - absent the rest - everyone would quickly forget.
I may be being too charitable. However, I think we are too quick to imagine facts that are not in evidence, simply because they usually are under the archetype of the college football scandal. I don't think Meyer was protecting Smith because he was such a great coach and helped them win so many games - everyone seems to share the opinion he was mediocre at best. This seems more of a personal tragedy of loyalty to the relative of a mentor in Earle Bruce, and Smith, who has been working for Meyer for nearly a decade. And the classic error in believing you can help an abuser stop abusing through counseling and coaching. It's a huge step down in magnitude and severity from the issues at PSU and MSU, and the comparison, though easy, isn't fair.
Amen, brother - great take
At the end of the day, Meyer set the standard himself: he said if he would have known, he would have fired Smith earlier. So if he did know, then he lied to the media about knowing and ought to be fired for that alone. I mean, maybe there's a world where we could excuse Meyer for saying "we're going to let the justice system run it's course on that one", maybe he had some plausible reason to think the case was uncertain enough to leave it to the judge, and if he had stood up and said that, then maybe he could keep his job.
Of course, since the only thing that changed was that someone dug up and publicized Smith's previous history, then that version of Meyer would be a coward who threw an underling under the bus to save face. And that probably is a guy that should be fired too.
On the off chance that he really, truly didn't know - Brian's right. One of your employees, who you apparently know well, personally, and socially, has had multiple run-ins with the police. The only way you don't know about that is willful ignorance or downright stupidity. Which should both be firing offenses.
Well written, Brian. Big props to Ramzy for what he wrote as well. For years I have disrespected Ohio State for shenanigans we all know that occurred during the Tressel era; now the seeds sown then have come to fruition and it's time to pay the piper. Maybe this is the time Ohio State gets that 20/20 look at what was done to achieve what was accomplished, and realizes it wasn't worth it. Hopefully it makes the right decision and comes back to respect for itself.
Um, he same guy still thinks Meyer keeps his job.
“inexplicably” left a major program, when it comes to urb and florida, is, strictly speaking, not correct. there are...rumors.
cf, lloyd and les.
So here is the scenario as I glean it from what passes for the news reports.
There are several years of police visits for abuse during which the aggrieved spouse either refuses to press charges or drops them. Various complaining emails and/or other forms of electronic communication make allegations of abuse, but it never manifests in an actual charge.
Then in late July this coach is arrested, criminal charges are filed and Meyer fires him. Much as I truly would like to bury Meyer who I think is a massive scumbag, I really do not see a big deal here.
If you fire someone based on innuendo and rumor, you can pretty much assume that you'll get sued and your corporate lawyers will be very unhappy with you.
Allegations are nothing more than words.
In my opinion Meyer is total scum, but unless something with serious weight comes out, he doesn't deserve to be fired and probably doesn't deserve to be suspended.
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:44 AM ^
I’m surprised that all the analysts and sportcasters are saying there is no way that Meyer can stay. That OSU as a program won’t accept anything less. I’m completely shocked that the media doesnt know for OSU, a winning reputation is more important than an ethical reputation. Such short memories they have.
August 3rd, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^
in todays climate these type of allegations will get you fired if proven that he knew and based on the text exchange his wife knew so he most likely knew. I think both him and his wife will be unemployed and a good bet that gene smith loses his job too.
Major Props Brian; again. As others have said: well argued.
Wives are more likely to tell their husbands dark things they hear from a friend then husbamds are to tell their wives. The fact that Urbs wife knew means at some point in time Urban knew and failed to do anything. Dude deserves the can period.
Yep. Especially if the dark thing involves the husband's employee and close associate and recalls a similar situation from 6 years ago that the husband knew about.
The OSU fanbase, if 11W is any indication, has by and large circled the wagons and are vehemently refusing to accept this simple inference.
"It is your job to know. If you don't know, you shouldn't have a job."
Well now, maybe he did know. And reported it. If you are Ohio State, do you fire your head football coach for bullshitting everybody in Chicago at the B1G meeting?
And now Meyer is saying he "failed" when he denied knowing about domestic violence allegations against one of his former assistant coaches, Zach Smith. Read that LIED, but my lawyer told me to use a bullshit euphemism. Of course he f-ing knew.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
August 4th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
I agree that it was Urban Meyer's duty to know and also note that he has now admitted he did know, I further note that this is a fan blog, and, therefore, different standards apply. But this is a serious subject, and different standards apply to it than to the normal topics of a fan blog.
This particular blog did not meet them. It was a self-righteous tirade that discussed PSU and MSU first and as much or more than OSU. It ignored obvious differences between PSU and MSU and the situation at OSU (at least as we currently understand them; the facts are developing). It jumped to conclusions about what OSU will do.
It also indulged in conspiracy theory: does the author really believe that Ohio bar is controlled by unthinking OSU fanatics? There was a complaint filed by the owner of the tattoo shop. It was the LEGAL DUTY of the Ohio bar to investigate it.
Sorry, but please do better in the future.
August 4th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
I’m not sure if others have pointed this out in regard to Zach Smith as the grandson of Earle Bruce, but wasn’t Bruce fired from a head coaching job in Arizona or Colorado for being abusive to his players? I seem to remember that from a post-OSU gig he had. Any one else recall that?
Sure did. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-09/sports/sp-1576_1_earle-bruce
Two Colorado State reserves on Tuesday supported allegations that fired football coach Earle Bruce physically abused players.
Bruce was fired Nov. 23 for several alleged violations of university and NCAA rules, including allegedly physically and verbally abusing players and forcing some to play with pain and take injections of painkillers.
"All the allegations they listed are true," said running back Pat Ingrassia. "I've been hit with a closed fist on one or two occasions by Coach Bruce.
Well written. Especially the part about OSU falling right back into cheating by getting Urban on the run from Florida
The “I didn’t know” defense does not hold water, if it ever did. Still, the victim blaming continues at 11W, and Urban is trying to stay afloat. With great rewards come great responsibility, and Meyer must be held accountable.
Whether this actually happens is very much open for debate. Great piece of writing, Brian.
September 22nd, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
Cool thread. Due to covid many people lost their jobs and it is worldwide problem. I also lost my job, but I decided to search vacancies for remote work and start working online. I think it is the best decision for modern situation! If you also interested in such work, dig this and check vacancies!
Comments