Crede777
Deputized
- Dec 16, 2009
- 14,639
- 4,164
I'm just a casual fan of OSU (even though I was a student there for a while). Not a die-hard Buckeyes fan but I casually follow them and watch a few games a year. That said, I was rather surprised about my attitude towards this whole debacle.
First, I don't like to jump to conclusions. The articles written about this situation bother me when they assume that Courtney Smith is automatically telling the truth. I also am hesitant to fall into the trap that we see some other college towns fall into (particularly Southern ones where football is a religion) which is to completely discredit the potential victim and close the wagons around the coach or star player. That's why I'm skeptical of the reports from Courtney Smith's mother and the report that the Powell PD essentially told her to stop calling with bogus claims. But I also don't feel like Urban Meyer "owed" Courtney Smith an apology unless Meyer knew that she was indeed being abused.
Second, I recognize that there's a barrier between life at home and life at work. An employer can't/shouldn't fire an employee just for what the employee does at home in private. In order to fire, the employee's actions must either: 1. Be within the scope of employment; 2. Reflect negatively upon the institution; or 3. Be illegal. I think the alleged domestic violence is outside of Zach Smith's scope of employment as a football coach, it didn't reflect negatively upon OSU until it was uncovered publicly, and because there was no conviction it wasn't illegal. That's why, I think, he wasn't fired until recently. It's also what separates this situation from, say, the Jim Tressel one where Tressel was actively helping conceal illegal activity.
Third, I don't think anyone outside of the committee is operating with a full set of facts. Hence, we are probably poor judges of their decision. But to me, it seems like the inappropriate picture taken at the White House and the relationship with an OSU employee are more fireable offenses than the alleged abuse. That's because they occurred while he was acting in his role as an OSU employee and a public act like his pictures reflect negatively upon OSU almost immediately.
Finally, it was stupid of Urban Meyer to lie at the media day. Either tell the truth or stay quiet. The speed at which people discovered that he was indeed made aware makes me wonder why he thought he could get away with it.
First, I don't like to jump to conclusions. The articles written about this situation bother me when they assume that Courtney Smith is automatically telling the truth. I also am hesitant to fall into the trap that we see some other college towns fall into (particularly Southern ones where football is a religion) which is to completely discredit the potential victim and close the wagons around the coach or star player. That's why I'm skeptical of the reports from Courtney Smith's mother and the report that the Powell PD essentially told her to stop calling with bogus claims. But I also don't feel like Urban Meyer "owed" Courtney Smith an apology unless Meyer knew that she was indeed being abused.
Second, I recognize that there's a barrier between life at home and life at work. An employer can't/shouldn't fire an employee just for what the employee does at home in private. In order to fire, the employee's actions must either: 1. Be within the scope of employment; 2. Reflect negatively upon the institution; or 3. Be illegal. I think the alleged domestic violence is outside of Zach Smith's scope of employment as a football coach, it didn't reflect negatively upon OSU until it was uncovered publicly, and because there was no conviction it wasn't illegal. That's why, I think, he wasn't fired until recently. It's also what separates this situation from, say, the Jim Tressel one where Tressel was actively helping conceal illegal activity.
Third, I don't think anyone outside of the committee is operating with a full set of facts. Hence, we are probably poor judges of their decision. But to me, it seems like the inappropriate picture taken at the White House and the relationship with an OSU employee are more fireable offenses than the alleged abuse. That's because they occurred while he was acting in his role as an OSU employee and a public act like his pictures reflect negatively upon OSU almost immediately.
Finally, it was stupid of Urban Meyer to lie at the media day. Either tell the truth or stay quiet. The speed at which people discovered that he was indeed made aware makes me wonder why he thought he could get away with it.
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