Gilbert, who did not attend the school board meeting, said the player has been devastated by the situation and continues to undergo psychological counseling. Besides pork, the player said he also abstains from eating seafood because its a bottom feeder, just like a pig.. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattleys first year, winning a Federal League championship. Pattakos said he believesthe assistant coach, whom he did not name, wanted Wattleys job. ", In June of last year, former McKinley head coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistant coaches were fired by Canton City Schools following an investigation into misconduct. If not, then you can leave. Thats the lesson.. CANTON, Ohio The Canton City School District has fired head high school football coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistants following an investigation into misconduct against a player. Following the hearings, the superintendent is expected to make a recommendation to the Canton City school board regarding their employment outside of their coaching positions, according to Canton City Schools spokeswoman Lisa Reicosky. CANTON, Ohio The Canton City School District has fired head high school football coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistants following an investigation into misconduct against a player. 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Former Browns coach Paul Brown hails from nearby Massillon and, last summer, Canton erected a statue of former Browns running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marion Motley just down the hill from the museum. Records show the Canton City School District and Superintendent Jeff Talbert were already dismissed from the lawsuit. "He's been the best offensive coordinator in the NFL, I think. CANTON, Ohio (WJW)- The family of a McKinley High School football player is calling for more action after it says the head coach forced the teen to eat a pizza. ", SUBSCRIBE:Get the day's top headlines sent to your inbox each weekday morning with the free 3News to GO! During this. The Canton Repository has agreed to not name the 17-year-old player, who has received interest from Division I colleges. He served as interim during the 2021 season. Canton Former Canton McKinley football coaches dismissed from federal lawsuit alleging they forced player to eat pizza A federal judge said there was insufficient evidence to support. Grimsleys message advised Humphrey that he had concerns with how the student was treated. The others mentioned above stayed in football. Canton McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley and seven assistant coaches were suspended last week by the Canton City School District after the 17-year-old reported what happened to him on . He always tries to make the people around him better. He also said he wasnt missing workouts due to using marijuana as the coaches have suggested. But they should have known that he didnt eat pork, he contends. A federal judge in U.S. District Court dismissed seven former football coaches from a lawsuit filed by a former football player and his family, citing insufficient evidence to support allegations that the player was forced to eat food against his religion. While we remain eager to present our claims against Mr. Gilbert and his clients to a jury and further clear the coaches good names, it is most important to the coaches to obtain complete justice in this matter, which requires that all responsible parties, including the (Canton City school leaders), be parties to the trial on the claims at issue, Pattakos wrote. I remember them cussing at me, but I remember Coach Wattley saying that if I dont eat it then … the team is going to keep doing the workouts and if I was to leave, then I couldnt come back, he said. 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. He didnt provide a reason why. Canton McKinley Bulldogs. He has been Canton's AD for less than a year. All rights reserved. Gilbert has said the family has agreed to meet with district officials before pursuing a lawsuit. He emphasized that the player had the ability to leave at any time and had the option of selecting an alternative food that did not contain pork. Canton McKinley Bulldogs 2022 high school football preview, online post that accompanies the transcripts, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She ruled the alleged defamatory statements attributed to district officials either contained no false statements of facts, were opinions and judgment calls or had not been published. We wont stop fighting until we get them back., More about McKinley's new head coach: Interim McKinley Bulldogs football coach Antonio Hall will look to 'put our kids first'. Traffic alert: Crash closes 224 West at Kenmore Leg in Summit County, Fan Expo Cleveland to feature 'The Office' cast, Christina Ricci and more as celebrity guests this March, FORECAST | Another surge in temps with highs topping 60 degrees, 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids making approach to Earth this week, The story was first reported by The Repository, Deadly motorcycle crash in Canton claims life of 46-year-old man, Breeze Airways: New airline coming to Akron-Canton Airport, flights launch with $39 fares, Stark County man accused of kidnapping, holding teen girl captive at oil well site, threating to kill her and pull out her teeth, Two injured after SUV strikes motorcycle head on in Stark County, Canton woman arrested for seventh lifetime OVI with two children in the car, Mental Health Awareness Week: Stark County schools create 'unity video' to help each other, Massillon City Schools teacher among 10 arrested in Summit County prostitution sting, Stark County man arrested, charged in connection with Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, Keith Wakefield retires after 30 seasons as Perry Panthers football coach. CANTON - The former McKinley High School football player who is suing the Canton City School District and his former coaches over alleged civil rights violations says the coaches likely. A few thousand watched the Marietta Pioneers nurse a lead against the visiting John Carroll Blue Streaks. His defense is all over the place. It is a substantial piece of justice for the coaches that they are very grateful for.". Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. Pattakos said those two minutes of video would have shown the player shaking hands and hugging the coaches after the discipline was over. I miss my boys. When Pattakos asked him if he believed that any of the coaches intended to harm him by violating his religious beliefs, the player responded: I dont know what they were what was going through their heads, so I dont know.. Former McKinley football coaches dismiss defamation lawsuit, intend to refile Kelli Weir The Repository 0:00 0:57 The former Canton McKinley football coaches who have been waiting for. I wasnt taking it, so then he just sat it down right beside me again. I knew about Josh then, and I followed him over the years.". and last updated 6:19 AM, Jun 02, 2021. The coach was trying to teach a lesson.". CANTONMarcus Wattley broke his silence Monday about the discipline of a player that led to the end of his career as McKinley High Schools head football coach. Here's what we know nowabout the May 24incident along with what's next for the fired coaches and the Canton McKinley football team: Attorney Ed Gilbert, who is representing the player and his family,believesthe school district violated the player's constitutional rights when the coaches punished the playerformissing a May 20voluntarystrengthening and conditioning practice to nurse a slight shoulder injury he received during a priorpractice. 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. Following a due-process hearing with the Canton City School District June 8, the attorney for Canton McKinley Senior High . While two of his teammates have signed affidavits that say the coaches offered the player a nonpork option such as McDonalds or chicken, the player testified, I didnt hear nothing about no chicken nuggets.. ', Greece's worst-ever rail crash kills dozens, crushes cars, Dust storm turns skies across Texas orange causing low visibility conditions for drivers, What to know about OHSAA district wrestling: Area wrestlers heading to four sites. Location: Massillon, Ohio. Example video title will go here for this video. A jury trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court is set for Sept. 19. At the next days workout, the player said coach Harris told him that he was going to have to apologize to the team and he agreed to do so. This wasnt about that (a single missed workout). Thom McDaniels is a retired Ohio high school football coach.. The former Canton McKinley football coaches who have been waiting for more than a year for a chance to clear their names in court have decided to wait a while longer. "I ran around the corner seeing nothing but open space. Wattley was hired at McKinley in 2019 and McLeod has been coaching since 2004. He was doing his best to teach an extraordinary athlete an important lesson., After the boards vote, Pattakos yelled to the superintendent and the board, This was a bad decision. He was so far ahead ahead of the curve.". Superintendent Jeff Talbert said surveillance video gave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendation to dismiss the coaches to the school board. He disputed Pattakos' statement that Wattley had offered the player chicken nuggets or any alternative food. They have said the player chose to pick the pepperoni off the pizza and eat it. John "Spider" Miller is an old Canton coach who disagrees with Jack Rose on Mayfield, but agrees on McDaniels. More on the McDaniels family: Canton council approves street name change to honor McDaniels football family. They said the player chose to take off the pepperoni and eat it. Traffic alert: Crash closes 224 West at Kenmore Leg in Summit County, Fan Expo Cleveland to feature 'The Office' cast, Christina Ricci and more as celebrity guests this March, FORECAST | Another surge in temps with highs topping 60 degrees, 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids making approach to Earth this week, Marcus Wattley and six of his assistant coaches were fired by Canton City Schools, Canton McKinley student allegedly forced to eat pepperoni pizza files a lawsuit against Canton City Schools in U.S. District Court, Attorney: Fired Canton McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley never forced player to eat pork, Canton McKinley football coaches fired for pizza incident file defamation suit, Canton McKinley football coach Marcus Wattley, 6 assistants fired following misconduct investigation. ', "His awareness of defenses really struck me. We remain proud to fight for these wrongly maligned coaches and clear their good names in court, Pattakos said. Wattley and his staff deserved better than this, and more importantly, so did the young men in that locker room and the whole Canton McKinley community. All rights reserved. The first NFL game action of the 2022 season will feature the debuts of a couple of head coaches.The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that the Jaguars and Raiders will square off in the Hall of . I love them, they know that, Wattley said. McKinley started the shortened 2020 COVID season 3-0 before losing three of its final five games. This was about something much bigger.. Add the football angle of Massillon-Hoban and this is a can't miss. Bottom line: Head coach . CANTON, Ohio Eight coaches from the Canton McKinley High School football team have been placed on administrative leave, including head coach Marcus Wattley. 3. CANTON - The former McKinley High School football player who is suing the Canton City School District and his former coaches over alleged civil rights violations says the coaches likely. The Canton City Board of Education voted to fire the coaches on June 3, 2021 after surveillance camera video surfaced of the incident. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. (Former St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach Dan) Boarman showed me a lot, how to take care of kids and everything that comes with the kid not just the football player but the student, the person and the athlete. 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 was asked to accept this form of a lesson. Following the vote to relieve Wattley of his duties, the board confirmed athletic director Antonio Hall will serve as interim head football coach for the 2021 season. Nobody wins in this.. The Canton McKinley grad could be looking at drafting a new quarterback with the No. School officials told The Repository this week that the school will review its entire athletic program. "There's nobody in the business who is going to work harder than Josh. Mike DeWine suffered injury while in East Palestine, Ohio State Fire Marshal: Oakwood factory fire was not the result of a criminal act, Improvements coming to I-480 near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Ohio football coaches allegedly force Hebrew Israelite student to eat pork for missing practice, Canton City Schools fire 7 football coaches accused of forcing a Hebrew Israelite student to eat pork, Whistleblower says he was unfairly fired following Canton McKinley High School pizza-eating incident, Former Canton-McKinley football coaches sue school district leaders, father of athlete at center of pizza scandal, Closed Captioning/Audio Description Problems. Rose's Tigers beat McDaniels' Bulldogs in an overtime shootout in the 100th game between the old rivals, in 1994. … It was nice seeing him, but like, what was going through my mind at the time was the disrespect that they put me through, he testified. Black Israelites, who are most nationalistic and furthest from traditional Judaism. He did it a few times and I remember saying, 'The kid is calling audibles as a freshman. With the same vote, the board also deemed assistant football coaches Frank McLeod, Zachary Sweat and Josh Grimsley as ineligible for future coaching positions. While the roughly 12-minute video doesn't have audio, McLeodsaid you can tell by the body language of the coaches and players that the player wasn't being threatened. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattley's first year,. The Rev. The decision left the player, the players father, Kenny Walker, attorney Edward Gilbert, and former assistant football coach Josh Grimsley as defendants. When head coaches like Bob Rupert, Dave Cady and Mike Riley were routinely taking Bulldog teams to the Final Four, they benefitted with better talent, better support, and players with better attitudes, which definitely contributed to their success at Canton McKinley. Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert hasn't released details of what happened on May 24. I learned from a great man how to coach football. Team Statistics. But, he still faces the possibility of. So I just went with it and went to the contest, the player testified. 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.. The incident made international headlines and has spawned three lawsuits. 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. Few have better insight on McDaniels than current McKinley head coach Antonio Hall. They are more than coaches, said Powell, who lost hisfather when he was young. They lose sleep over me and the boys.. It says in the Bible that its unclean if you touch it, said the player who said his family attends the Gathering of Christ Church in Cleveland. Attorney Stephen Griffin, who represents Gilbert in the coaches defamation lawsuit, declined to respond to Pattakos online post. I try to incorporate that with my coaches every day.. He has been on staff, mostly as offensive coordinator, for all nine of Bill Belichick's New England Super Bowls. Following the vote, Talbert rejected Pattakos statement that the districts investigation was rushed, noting the video gave them enough information to determine that the coaches acted inappropriately. The lawsuit also names Canton City Schools as a defendant. . Talbert said surveillance videogave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendations to the board. Canton McKinley pizza scandal: Judge dismisses former football coaches from lawsuit. They needed to show him what it was like to be the only man eating in a room full of hungry, working men. McKinley went 14-6 in Wattleys two seasons as head coach, with a couple of second-round playoff losses and an 0-2 record against rival Massillon. The player testified he walked into the Frank Turk Alberta Football Operations Center and went into the weight room. "(Former St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach Dan) Boarman showed me a lot, how to take care of kids and everything that comes with the kid not just the football player but the student, the person and the athlete. The attorney alsoblamesthe Canton City School District for conducting a rushed and incomplete investigation, an accusation the district denies. Talbert said it was the surveillance video that gave him the information he needed to make his recommendation to fire Wattley and his assistants. John Carroll quarterback Nick Caserio ended the third quarter with two completions to receiver Dave Ziegler, then opened the fourth quarter with a 12-yard strike to McDaniels. McDaniels is a significant donor. Traffic alert: Crash closes 224 West at Kenmore Leg in Summit County, Fan Expo Cleveland to feature 'The Office' cast, Christina Ricci and more as celebrity guests this March, FORECAST | Another surge in temps with highs topping 60 degrees, 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids making approach to Earth this week, an investigation into misconduct against a player, Bigger than basketball: How a small team, facing huge odds, became champions, Keith Wakefield retires after 30 seasons as Perry Panthers football coach, OHSAA to expand football playoffs to 16 teams, Romero Harris - Weight room coach and baseball assistant. An attorney representing Marcus Wattley told 3News Investigates that there's more to this story that hasn't been told. 11, 2021 at 4:07 PM PDT. The score stayed 12-3. The player said McLeod didnt react and continued to eat the pizza next to him. June 5, 2021, 1:55 PM PDT. I love them, they know that. Pattakos said attempts to settle the lawsuit failed this week when the defendants offered only a four-figure settlement sum. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - The whistleblower who alerted school officials about the alleged actions of Canton McKinley High School coaches said he was unfairly . Believesthe assistant coach, whom he did not name the 17-year-old player, who lost hisfather when was! Title will GO here for this video of defenses really struck me full of hungry, men... He always tries to make his recommendation to dismiss the coaches that they are very grateful for. `` the! Only man eating in a room full of hungry, working men Wattleys first year, he needed to their. 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