In a report it released Wednesday night, the Columbus Dispatch essentially rehashed details of the abuse Courtney Smith allegedly suffered at the hands of former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith that had already been widely reported. There was, though, at least one new piece of information contained in the report that, if true, is not a good look for the university. That, however, appears to be a fairly sizable if at the moment.
According to an incident report mailed anonymously to the Dispatch, Powell Police Department Officer Ben Boruchowitz responded to a call made from the home of Courtney Smith on Oct. 26, 2015, because, the night before, Zach Smith had verbally abused her as well as physically abused her by pushing her into a wall.
While that incident and the specifics were already known -- Brett McMurphy detailed it HERE on Facebook earlier this month -- the fact that Courtney Smith claimed, per the responding officer, that the university had sent a lawyer to her home in connection to a separate incident is something that had not been made public. From the Dispatch‘s report:
The Powell Chief of Police, Gary Vest, did not dispute the veracity of Officer Boruchowitz’s reporting of the events that October night.
“Chris Davey, OSU spokesman, told The Dispatch on Wednesday night the university was unaware of the allegation and would investigate,” the newspaper wrote.
Earlier this month, a two-week investigation into Urban Meyer‘s handling of the domestic abuse allegations came to an end and resulted in the head coach’s three-game suspension. Nowhere in the investigative committee’s summary of findings of that investigation is it mentioned that the university sent an attorney to Courtney Smith’s house. Six days before the investigation concluded, Courtney Smith met with the investigative team and, “accompanied by her lawyers... welcomed the opportunity to speak to investigators.”
Through McMurphy, however, Courtney Smith denied the OSU lawyer narrative woven into the police report:
Courtney Smith told me tonight police narrative indicating Ohio State sent lawyer to her home in 2015 about previous incident “convincing her to drop charge cuz it would embarrass OSU" is not accurate. She said she told officer about Zach’s 2009 UF arrest when Meyer sent deFries https://t.co/8vIZqoaMb9
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 30, 2018
“No way. I would never say that,” Courtney Smith also told ESPN.com when asked about that portion of the police report.
The “deFries” mentioned by McMurphy in the tweet embedded above is Hiram de Fries, one of Meyer’s closest friends who has also been described as the head coach’s “life coach.” It has previously been alleged by Courtney Smith that, after a domestic incident while her then-husband was on Meyer’s University of Florida football staff in 2009, de Fries arranged a meeting with her in which she claims he pressured her to drop charges against Zach Smith. At de Fries’ behest, Courtney Smith claimed she ultimately declined to pursue charges.
De Fries, in addition to being an oil executive, is also a former attorney. It’s possible that the responding officer on that October 2015 night confused the former lawyer’s alleged role in the 2009 incident at UF with recent incidents that happened at OSU, assuming that the lawyer who was sent was connected to OSU. Conversely, it’s also possible the police officer’s notes from that night are factual, something that the university will now be tasked with determining.
Zach Smith, who went on a Twitter tirade earlier Wednesday that was largely directed at McMurphy, went after the writer again after his ex-wife’s denial of that portion of the police incident report.
So something you reported was inaccurate? Nooooooo?! Still waiting for you to respond to me Brett! I’m right here. Ready to meet with you. But you’re ignoring me... and everything else that’s against your narrative. Do you want my address? Come be a big boy reporter. https://t.co/22dPiBXNLP
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 30, 2018
