Two days after Grimsley sent the message, the district suspended Grimsley, Wattley and six other assistant coaches while it investigated allegations of misconduct before firing Wattley, Grimsley and five other coaches on June 3. Theyve run plenty of sprints. Hall is one of the drivers behind the Marion Motley statue planned for a spot near the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No. Wattleyallowed the player to pick off the pepperoni butpork residue remained, the attorney said. Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. A high school football coach and six assistant coaches McKinley Senior High School in Canton, Ohio, have been fired after they allegedly forced a player to eat pork against his religious beliefs . I miss my boys. McLeods disciplinary hearing with school officials over his job as a safety and security liaison was held earlier Monday. I try to incorporate that with my coaches every day.. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. We feel the coaches knew what they did and the judge wanted us to be specific. But of course, we don't know they acted as a group. "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. ", SUBSCRIBE:Get the day's top headlines sent to your inbox each weekday morning with the free 3News to GO! Canton City Schools SuperintendentJeff Talbert reiterated the statements he gave Wednesday when he announced the coaches would face further discipline. "He's proven he's a hell of a coach," Rose said. Coaching career. However, the family in question identifies themselves as Christian. A federal judge filed an order Thursday to . . 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.. 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. Poll: Head football coach Marcus Wattley, six others dismissed for misconduct. He was one of several football players who attended the disciplinary hearing Monday to show their support for Wattley and McLeod. … 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 Jews, who maintain a Christological perspective and adopt Jewish rituals. 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. McKinley won a rematch in the playoffs two weeks later. Canton McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistants were fired last week following allegations the coaches forced a 17-year-old player to eat an entire pepperoni. 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. Canton McKinley football coach's attorney disputes claims by player. The Canton McKinley grad could be looking at drafting a new quarterback with the No. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattleys first year, winning a Federal League championship. The player said he felt badabout eating the ribs after seeing news reports in 2021 that the ribs had been pork. Pattakos said the punishment was not merely for missing a single voluntary workout. 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. The story was first reported by The Repository on Wednesday as Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Talbert announced that the district had begun investigating a complaint made against the coaches, including McKinley Head Coach Marcus Wattley. Im in disbelief that Im basically accused of harming a kid when Ive done nothing but take care of kids in this community, said McLeod, a 1996 McKinley graduate who was an all-Ohio linebacker for McKinley. You can read Judge Adams' dismissal ruling below: Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Black Israelites, who are most nationalistic and furthest from traditional Judaism. Talbert said surveillance videogave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendations to the board. I said I dont eat pepperoni because I dont want to eat it because the grease is cooked in with the cheese. The lawsuit also names Canton City Schools as a defendant. December 4, 2004 (at Canton Fawcett Stadium) Canton McKinley 3 7 0 0 10 (11-4) Cincinnati Colerain 6 17 20 7 50 (15-0) Coaches: Brian Cross (Canton McKinley); Kerry Coombs (Cincinnati Colerain) Attendance (unofficial): 16,885. The coaches had filed the lawsuit in July 2021 after they said their reputations had been damaged by the false accusation that they punished the then-17-year-old football player on May 24,. The player blames his former coaches for describing him as a troubled kid in the media asthe reason his offers to play Division Ifootball fell through. I think Carr is really good at it. 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. The player, who transferred to another school district last school year, said hes still dealing with anxiety and thinks about the May 24 discipline every day. If he refused to eat the pizza,the playerwas told that his teammates would be forced to perform additional drills and "there was a question of whether he would be able to stay on the team," Gilbert said. I knew it was coming sooner or later.". Motley played at Canton McKinley High School, which is on the Hall of Fame Village's campus. One of the state's most successful coaches . Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Fletcher played 256 NFL games, third all-time among linebackers behind Junior Seau (268) and Clay Matthews (278). Pattakos said attempts to settle the lawsuit failed this week when the defendants offered only a four-figure settlement sum. Canton McKinley High School football coach Marcus Wattley. 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'. 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. As for the coaches who had other jobs within the district, there will be upcoming meetings to determine their futures in that capacity. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattley's first year,. 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. Bulldogs logo for the Canton City School District in Ohio. According to the district, the coaches knew the teen was a member of the Hebrew Israelite faith, and that consuming pork was in violation of his religion's practices. ", "It's (the dismissal) not going to fix the damage that has been done," said Peter Pattakos, the attorney representing the coaches. The player said in his rush to eat the pizza so his teammates could stop the workout sooner, he believes he left some cheese on the pizza. 2 Canton McKinley football players speak out about teammate's punishment: Why they say it was unfair for 7 coaches to lose their jobs The coach was expected to speak with 19 News at . Bottom line: Head coach . Attorney Ed Gilbert, who is representing the 17-year-old football player and his family, said Thursday that he agrees with the school board's decision to dismiss the coaches, but added, There is no joy in seeing this. "What is on that video shows that what happened on May 24 is an ill-mannered attempt to instill accountability and discipline in our students," he said when firing the coaches. You can get anywhere . Gilbert says his team, the player, and his family are now determining if they will appeal the dismissal. Talbert said assistant coach Badre El Bardawil, who also had been suspended on May 26 with the other coaches, remains an assistant coachbecause the evidence did not show that he performed in the same manner as the other coaches.. In an online post that accompanies the transcripts, Pattakos writes thatthe players testimony, along with testimony from his father, another former coach and affidavits from his former teammates, prove the coaches never knowingly violated the players religious beliefs, a key contention that elevated the story to an international level and is the basis for the players federal civil rights lawsuit. As we approach trial, any attempt to taint a jury pool is truly not a practice I would ever engage. That set up a touchdown. Canton McKinley Bulldogs. Talbert said it was the surveillance video that gave him the information he needed to make his recommendation to fire Wattley and his assistants. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. The Ohio Department of Educations professional conduct division also is reviewing whether the coaches should retain their educational and coaching licenses. All rights reserved. It was rushed. In a separate vote Thursday, the five-member board unanimously hired Athletic Director Antonio Hall as the districts interim head football coach for the upcoming season. Assistant coachesCade Brodie and Tyler Thatcher, and assistant baseball coach Romero Harris, who hasrelated weight room duties, also were dismissed from the team, but they do not have separate jobs with the Canton City School District. and last updated 6:19 AM, Jun 02, 2021. Las Vegas is, and he's going to rock it 'til the wheels fall off. Im in disbelief that Im basically accused of harming a kid when Ive done nothing but take care of kids in this community, said McLeod, a 1996 McKinley graduate who was an all-Ohio linebacker for McKinley. As of Monday, both investigations were ongoing. The player, whom the Repository has agreed to not identify,has been devastated by the situation and continues to undergo psychological counseling, the attorney said. Its absolutely, totally ridiculous, Gilbert said. In a letter shared with 3News Investigator Rachel Polansky, Canton City Schools informed Wattley of his placement on administrative leave on Wednesday. McLeods disciplinary hearing with school officials over his job as a safety and security liaison was held earlier Monday. The student, now 18, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Akron in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, against the Canton City School District and his former coaches. The 17-year-old belongs to. The player admitted he had lied to his teammates and coaches and told them he had been grounded for smoking marijuana. But the player testified that Wattley told him that if he walked out, he couldnt come back. Josh Grimsley, Wattleys former defensive line coach who also works as a school resource assistant for the Canton City School District, was so bothered by the punishment that he sent a text message to his supervisor, Safety and Security Director Steve Humphrey, shortly after the May 24 workout ended. 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