Ohio State trustees have appointed a special committee to investigate coach Urban Meyer's handling of a fired assistant coach's domestic abuse allegations.

The university released a statement Thursday night announcing the formation of the six-member "independent board working group."

Meyer was put on paid administrative leave on Thursday following a report that Meyer's wife Shelley knew about 2015 abuse allegations against former assistant Zach Smith made by his then-wife Courtney. Meyer told reporters he didn't know about the 2015 allegations until just before Smith was fired last month.

The university is trying to determine what Meyer knew and when he knew it, and if he failed to report the allegations against Smith to officials.

This group includes current trustees Alex Fischer, Janet Porter and Alex Shumate. Also on the panel are former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, former acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford and former federal prosecutor Carter Stewart.

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