The father of a former Ohio State wide receiver says that Urban Meyer was involved in covering up a racially-charged exchange involving ex-assistant coach Zach Smith, according to a report.

On Tuesday, Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported that LeBron Grimes, father of former Buckeye and current Florida wide receiver Trevon Grimes, says his son and Smith were involved in an altercation during a September practice in 2017. That altercation, in which Smith directed a racial slur at Grimes, is what prompted the receiver’s departure from Columbus, according to the report.

Grimes left Ohio State in the middle of the 2017 season and has since joined the Florida Gators.

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From Stadium:

“Trevon said, ‘I want to leave.’ He was very emotional. He said, ‘I can’t take it anymore. I just want to leave.’ Trevon went up to Ohio State in August (2017) and in two months after I sent him up there – it’s supposed to be the greatest moment of his life and I’m feeling it’s a blessing – I get a phone call from him crying, angry and confused,” LeBron said. “His mom (Leah Grimes) was the first one to call me. That’s why I knew it was bad when his mother called me. Trevon said, ‘You have to get me out of this situation.’”

Trevon told his father he got into an altercation with Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith at practice.

LeBron Grimes said his son told him that “Zach got up in his face and called him a ‘bitch ass n – – – – -’ and said, ‘I should have never recruited you.’ And then Trevon said something to Zach about him messing around with college girls.”

During that phone call, LeBron told his son he had booked a flight and would be in Columbus in three days. Trevon told him if he didn’t get there the next day he was leaving school.

When Grimes left the school, it was reportedly because of his mother’s (Leah Grimes) battle with cancer. Because of her health concerns, Grimes was able to transfer from Ohio State and play at Florida immediately with a waiver from the NCAA.

But LeBron Grimes says health wasn’t the reason behind his son’s departure from Columbus. He says that Urban Meyer even canceled a press conference and altered practice schedules to make a trip to Florida to cover up the altercation between Trevon Grimes and Smith.

More from Stadium:

The reason for the visit? Again, it depends whom you ask.

Gene Smith: “Coach Meyer and others went to support Leah Grimes and Trevon on Monday, Oct. 9, an off day for our (players) because Leah was struggling with her health and they were going through a very stressful time.”

Emig, OSU’s spokesman: “Coach (Meyer) is very close with Leah and she and Trevon were struggling with news of her cancer. They went then to show support for her and Trevon. Coach also contacted the James Cancer Center that week to put her in touch with their doctors.”

LeBron Grimes, who was not in town that day: “Trevon threatened them (to go public with the altercation and alleged racial slur) like Zach threatened Trevon (at Ohio State).”

Trevon and Leah have not commented on the meeting.

Ohio State has acknowledged that there was an altercation between Smith and Trevon Grimes, but that no racial slurs were used and that it was not a physical incident.

Smith denies any use of racially motivated language, according to the report.