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Meyer has made conflicting statements regarding the situation, leaving it unclear when and what he knew about Courtney Smith's domestic violence allegations against Zach Smith in 2015. According to his coach’s contract and Ohio State’s Sexual Misconduct policy, however, Meyer is required to report all allegations of sexual misconduct occurring within the university community – making the document’s policy on sexual misconduct among the strictest in the Big Ten, according to a USA TODAY Network examination of the contracts.
Generally, Big Ten coach’s contracts include language binding them to all university rules, indirectly subjecting them to the university sexual misconduct policies which are outlined in separate documents. However, Meyer’s contract, along with Illinois coach Lovie Smith and Maryland coach D.J. Durkin’s contracts, for example, specify coaches must report allegations of sexual misconduct in addition to simply mentioning that they are subject to all university policies.
Coaches are typically instructed by these documents to direct their reports to their university’s Title IX office since Title IX laws consider sexual misconduct a form of “sex- and gender-based discrimination.” Failure to abide by these rules warrants varying disciplinary action among the schools.