What we are most certain of is that this communitys unfortunate loss will be another communitys gain, and that Mr. Wattleys excellent record as a coach, educator, and community servant will continue to speak for itself to anyone interested in the truth.". June 2, 2021 A high school football coach in Canton, Ohio, and seven assistant coaches have been suspended after punishing a 17-year-old for missing a voluntary practice by forcing him to. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. According to Pattakos and the students, the player had the ability to leave at any time and Wattley had offered the player chicken nuggets instead of the pizza after the player said he didnt eat pork. For inexplicable reasons, the board denied this basic request and refused to listen to these young men, reflecting that the district's leadership is not interested in the truth of this matter, and is instead motivated by something else. So, they just kept it there and then when I kicked the box, they brought it back to me, so there was nothing I could do, said the player, according to a transcript of a deposition he gave on June 23. I will defer to Judge Haupt and her able staff to handle. 8/19. "We were ahead, with the ball," recalls Kuberacki, 44. "I remember sitting in the stands watching a McKinley-Masillon ninth-grade game," Rose said. He was asked to accept this form of a lesson. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - Canton City Schools held a special meeting Thursday evening that addressed a controversy involving seven McKinley High School football coaches and a student-athlete.. One of the state's most successful coaches . The lawsuit also had been filed against Canton City school leaders but they were dismissed from the case in January. 2022 OHSAA High School Football Playoff Brackets (Ohio) Region 1. He was one of several football players who attended the disciplinary hearing Monday to show their support for Wattley and McLeod. misguided attempt to instill discipline, Canton McKinley High School football coaches to face further discipline, possible criminal charges, suspended on May 26 with the other coaches, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. So then after theyre still not listening to me, the teams still around me doing the punishment, so I just eat the pizza, the player testified. "These quarterbacks that get their teams deep in the playoffs all can score in the fourth quarter. He is McKinley's fifth head coach in 10 seasons. Four young men in this program have been shot in this last calendar year alone, Pattakos said. DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. 0:36. Video showed the moments the player claims the coaches forced him to eat a pork-based pepperoni pizza after showing up later to a non-mandatory practice. He blamed the district for conducting a rushed and incomplete investigation, noting that Wattley was interviewed for only 18 minutes and that only three of the 40 players present wereinterviewed. On 10/28, the McKinley varsity football team won their home playoff game against GlenOak (Canton, OH) by a score of 40-22. The Rev. Records show the Canton City School District and Superintendent Jeff Talbert were already dismissed from the lawsuit. Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. Solon defeated Canton McKinley 61-40 in the opener and then Midview followed suit with a 70-45 win over Archbishop Hoban.. Solon and Midview will meet up at Medina High School on Saturday, March 4th at 7 p.m. in the regional final with a spot in the . I think Carr is really good at it. Ex-McKinley football player sues, alleges coaches coerced him to eat pizza against beliefs, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Las Vegas is, and he's going to rock it 'til the wheels fall off. Its unclear from the players testimony whether the other coaches heard the player talking about his religion. MEDINA, Ohio - Solon and Midview both picked up big wins in the OHSAA Division I regional semifinals at Medina High School on Tuesday night. NFL Scouting Combine quick hits:Andrew Berry feels Greg Newsome II is 'going to be a pretty big part' of Browns' future McDaniels, a Canton McKinley High School graduate, was all smiles as he . According to his deposition testimony, the players father first introduced the family to the Hebrew Israelite faith in 2013. "Caserio was a standout," said Kuberacki. Canton McKinley High School head football coach Marcus Wattley placed on administrative leave along with seven assistants Canton City Schools' administrative team received a report of an. Pattakos said those two minutes of video would have shown the player shaking hands and hugging the coaches after the discipline was over. I try to incorporate that with my coaches every day.. However, the family in question identifies themselves as Christian. Attorney Ed Gilbert, who is representing the player and his family, called the coaches explanation for their punishment bizarre and a desperate attempt to try to hurt (the players) family. He said no matter what the coaches say, it doesnt excuse them for coercing a player to eat pork against his religious beliefs. He later called the special board meeting that resulted in the] group of coaches losing their jobs. A jury trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court is set for Sept. 19. June 5, 2021, 1:55 PM PDT. Talbert, a former head football coach, said surveillance video of the high school's auxiliary gym gave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendations to dismiss the coaches for behavior that fell short of the district's professional and ethical standards. It doesnt make any sense.. I'm just glad he has this opportunity. He always tries to make the people around him better. But the player testified that Wattley told him that if he walked out, he couldnt come back. CANTON, Ohio With an attorney by his side, the father of a junior at McKinley Senior High School shared his anger after he told News 5 his son, who is a . The player admitted he had lied to his teammates and coaches and told them he had been grounded for smoking marijuana. The school board on Thursday voted to fireWattley and six of his assistant coaches after the districts completed investigation found that the coaches on May 24 acted in a demeaning and divisive manner in what school officials have called a misguided attempt to instill discipline in the student athletes.. Allegations that the court says "lumped all the former coaches together without distinguishing the allegations against each individual. Six former Canton-McKinley High School football coaches have filed a civil lawsuit alleging district leaders and a player's father and attorney defamed them, damaged their reputations and caused . Are you hungry? And then we walk out into the auxiliary gym and theres a pizza in the chair, and I think coach I think Coach Brodie handed me the pizza and I set it down. Repository reporters Kelli Weir, Charita Goshay,Steve Doerschuk and Josh Weir contributed to this story. Canton McKinley High School Head Football Coach Marcus Wattley and five assistant coaches are suing Canton City school officials and others for spreading "false, malicious and extremely defamatory statements" that cost them their jobs and their reputations. Bottom line: Head coach . Its not like they put their hands on me, but they forced me to eat it, he said. Gilbert said the player told the coach at least 10 times that he did not eat pork because he and his family are Hebrew Israelites, a faith thatstrictly forbids the consumption of pork or pork residue. McDaniels previously served as the wide receivers . He always pushes the envelope forward. "He's been the best offensive coordinator in the NFL, I think. Besides pork, the player said he also abstains from eating seafood because its a bottom feeder, just like a pig.. Editors Note: Below is a previous report by 19 News about the lawsuit. He said he has lost respect for the McKinley coaches he once admired. If not, then you can leave. Thats the lesson.. CANTONWhat Canton City school officials called a misguided attempt to instill discipline has led to the firingof McKinley High School head football coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistant coaches. When Pattakos asked the player why he participated in a rib-eating contest with his teammates in 2019, he recalled that he had asked Wattley whether the ribs were beef or pork but Wattley didnt know. Video that shows the events that led to 7 McKinley High School coaches being removed. Hall is a member of the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame and the Canton McKinley Football Hall of Fame. But they should have known that he didnt eat pork, he contends. An investigation found the seven staff members made a player eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs. The Canton City School Board held a special meeting Thursday evening to discuss the incident that occurred . Black Jews, who maintain a Christological perspective and adopt Jewish rituals. My job is in the courtroom, not the press room.. Canton City Schools SuperintendentJeff Talbert reiterated the statements he gave Wednesday when he announced the coaches would face further discipline. He said the student had stopped regularly communicating with his coaches, had left workouts early, and had been acting disrespectfully to coaches. No. Explore the benefits. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. More about Hebrew Israelites: Canton family's faith at the center of McKinley High football coach abuse allegations, I miss my boys. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Canton family's faith at the center of McKinley High football coach abuse allegations, Head football coach Marcus Wattley, six others dismissed for misconduct. Hall, who is coming up on the one-year anniversary of his hire as McKinleys athletic director, playedon McKinleys 1997 and 1998 state championshipteams. After the hearings, Canton City Schools spokeswoman Lisa Reicosky said Superintendent Jeff Talbertis expectedto make a recommendation to the Canton City school board regarding their employment outside of their coaching positions. The player testified that he was grounded because his father found a Black & Mild wrapper. In the meantime, district leadership, including Superintendent Jeff Talbert and every board member who approved this decision, should be ashamed, not least for making such a momentous decision based on such an obviously faulty and rushed investigation. "Josh was a coach on the field. After I got off the phone call, I thought to myself, like I cant like what they did to me was just too far extreme disrespect, so I just left it there.. Hall was a star offensive tackle on the Bulldogs' 1997 national championship team and later earned All-SEC honors at Kentucky before stints as an assistant coach at GlenOak, McKinley, and St. Thomas Aquinas. When Pattakos asked him whether he planned to cut the coaches out of his life forever, the player said, I mean, I dont plan on rebuilding no relationship we had.. 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