Las Vegas is, and he's going to rock it 'til the wheels fall off. 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. Wattley, who was hired as McKinley's coach in 2019, said he misses his players. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. 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. Frank McLeod, one of the assistant coaches who was dismissed, on Tuesday said he believes the district's surveillance video clears the coaches. Its absolutely, totally ridiculous, Gilbert said. The district has declined to provide details of what happened on May 24. 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. Record: 10-0. Former Canton McKinley Senior High School head football coach Marcus Wattley and five of his former assistant coaches are suing nine people they say have damaged their reputations in the. "McDaniels was a good possession receiver. He saidthe video would not be publicly released due to federal student privacy regulations. The lawyer representing the students family did not immediately return 19 News request for comment. 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. He did it a few times and I remember saying, 'The kid is calling audibles as a freshman. McDaniels had a 26-year head coaching career that included head coaching stops at Warren G. Harding High School, Canton McKinley High School and Massillon Jackson High School. 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 . Canton McKinley pizza scandal: Judge dismisses former football coaches from lawsuit. The sprints werent working,Pattakos said. 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. Box Score. 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. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - The whistleblower who alerted school officials about the alleged actions of Canton McKinley High School coaches said he was unfairly . Add the football angle of Massillon-Hoban and this is a can't miss. McKinley went 14-6 in Wattley's two seasons as head coach, with a couple of second-round playoff losses and an 0-2 record against rival Massillon. By The Associated Press. He said he missed some workouts because he was getting paid to do yard work for a coachs friend, a woman at his moms church and his grandfather. Canton McKinley football coach's attorney disputes claims by player. Superintendent Jeff Talbert called the actions of the coaches "inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive. Feb 9. Following a due-process hearing with the Canton City School District June 8, the attorney for Canton McKinley Senior High . ', 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. 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. as the first-year head coach of the Denver Broncos, McDaniels saw his team go . The Canton City school board on Thursday voted unanimously to not renew the coaching contracts of Wattley,assistant coaches Cade Brodie and Tyler Thatcher, and assistant baseball coach Romero Harris, who hasrelated weight room duties. Thursdays board action only affects thecoaching contracts. The sprints werent working, Pattakos said. "He's proven he's a hell of a coach," Rose said. I told them that I was smoking marijuana because I didnt want them to know that I was smoking Black & Milds because I thought Black & Milds was worse than marijuana, the player testified. And then they started telling everyone to grab 45-pound plates, but as I reached to go grab one, Coach Watt says, Not you, youre chilling, the player said. 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. The lawsuit filed by the Hebrew Israelite players family alleged that on May 24, 2021 the coaches forced him to eat a pepperoni pizza after he missed a voluntary practice session. Other football players who were at the May 24 workout have saidthe coaches never forced the playerto eat the pizza and they gave the player the choice of eating chicken nuggets instead. All rights reserved. He always tried to do the best he could at anything he did. 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. 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 . Rose's Tigers beat McDaniels' Bulldogs in an overtime shootout in the 100th game between the old rivals, in 1994. Pattakos also states that hes releasing the transcripts in the interest of correcting the record and mitigating the damage caused by the defamatory accusations that have ruined the reputations of former McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley and his former assistant coaches Frank McLeod, Zachary Sweat, Romero Harris, Cade Brodie and Tyler Thatcher. McDaniels, 45, is back in a head coaching seat for the first time since getting fired by the Denver Broncos 12 games into the 2010 season. Attorney Edward Gilbert, who is representing the 17-year-old player at the center of the controversyand his family, on June 14 released the surveillance video that was taken on May 24 when the family says Wattley and his staff forced the player to eat an entire pepperoni pizza against his Hebrew Israelite religious beliefs as punishment for missing a voluntary workout. You did not serve the community.. The player admitted he had lied to his teammates and coaches and told them he had been grounded for smoking marijuana. His statements were supported by five McKinley football players who attended the school board meeting in support of their eight coaches. 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. 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.. "It was a situation that deserves to be investigated so we're going to investigate it," Talbert told The Repository. 330-438-2712 Fax: 330-580-3507 Jonas Wertin, Principal wertin_j@ccsdistrict.org McKinley Quick Links McKinley Virtual Tour The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. McKinley football player Mani Powell said he wants his coaches back. Monica A. Coleman, a theologian and professor of Africana studies at the University of Delaware, said someHebrew Israelites do consider themselves to be Jewish. Repository sports writer Josh Weir contributed to this article. Bottom line: Head coach . 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 district has sent its investigation to the Ohio Department of Education's professional conduct division andthe Canton City Police Department for review. "The type of behavior was inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive.". The weekly sessions are now monthly check-ins. One of the state's most successful coaches . I said I dont eat pepperoni because I dont want to eat it because the grease is cooked in with the cheese. Pattakos, who said he,Wattley and McLeod saw the surveillance video for the first time Monday,saidhe isn't giving up on reinstatingWattley and McLeod as McKinley coaches. "Looking back," Hall said, "Cleveland wasn't the right time or the right place. Explore the benefits. Hall, who is coming up on the one-year anniversary of his hire as McKinleys athletic director, playedon McKinleys 1997 and 1998 state championshipteams. McDaniels previously served as the wide receivers . Im not going to respond to every allegation that comes up because its like a moving target. McKinley's Harold Fannin Jr. runs after a catch against GlenOak at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Many religious traditions, including smaller traditions that are not well-known to a wider Western public,have food prohibitions and it would be a considerable religiousviolation to force someone to eat something that is considered a religious taboo.". But of course, we don't know they acted as a group. Pattakos said Wattley previously had witnessed the eating-alone lesson work effectively in a different Division I locker room. Hall is a member of the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame and the Canton McKinley Football Hall of Fame. Canton McKinley Football's "You Can Get There From Here" series. He described various drills, including the Hallway of Hell workout, that players had to complete when they were absent. No Bulldogcoachs tenure has spanned more than five years since Thom McDaniels guided the program from 1982-1997. Motley played at Canton McKinley High School, which is on the Hall of Fame Village's campus. 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. FEB 24 WILSON BOMBSHELL And now we know more about why so many people dislike Russell Wilson. Other lawsuits filedEx-McKinley football player sues, alleges coaches coerced him to eat pizza against beliefs. On a sunny September Saturday in 1997, secrets of the future whispered like ripples as Josh McDaniels played a college football game on the Ohio River. According to his deposition testimony, the players father first introduced the family to the Hebrew Israelite faith in 2013. And he believes they should have stopped the punishment when he said that day that it violated his religion. Judge John Adams found there was not enough evidence to support allegations made by legal representation of the student-athlete. Learning what he learned from his first time, applying all the knowledge he's gained since then, it's just the perfect equation for success.". 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. Powell said Wattley and all of the assistant coaches have becomefather figures to him and his teammates. In an 11-page decision, Judge John Adams wrote there would be no ruling against the coaches "merely because it (the court) may not believe the plaintiff's factual allegations." 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. CANTON, Ohio There are new developments in the scandal that once crippled the Canton McKinley football team. McDaniels kicked in addition to playing quarterback at McKinley when Miller coached the Bulldogs' defensive backs. The player said he continued to protest and at one point kicked the box, but the box was brought back to him. Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. You can get anywhere . 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,. Thom McDaniels is a retired Ohio high school football coach.. June 5, 2021, 1:55 PM PDT. 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. Ben McDaniels (born June 6, 1980) is an American football coach who is the Wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Thats why it raises concerns when this young man doesnt text his coaches and explains where he is when they are expecting them to be at a voluntary workout, even though it is voluntary. 13 Canton McKinley (11-12) at No. John "Spider" Miller is an old Canton coach who disagrees with Jack Rose on Mayfield, but agrees on McDaniels. I just dont understand why after I said I dont eat pork, they didnt take it (the pepperoni pizza) away. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattley's first year,. This is an extraordinary tactic that is used to teach an extraordinary lesson to an extraordinary young man under extraordinary circumstances.. ", More Stark County sports from Steve Doerschuk: 'I know where to go and pour them': Fate of 40-year-old Hudepohl six-packs rides on Bengals winning AFC title, Super Bowl. Allegations that the court says "lumped all the former coaches together without distinguishing the allegations against each individual. 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 . 40-22 (W) McKinley vs. GlenOak. 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'. Rose views McDaniels as a coach's son who paid attention and absorbed every lesson. McKinley started the shortened 2020 COVID season 3-0 before losing three of its final five games. He said Wednesday evening that the investigation, which was completed June 1, also includedinterviews with five of the coaches and three players. As of Monday, both investigations were ongoing. He had planned to do some exercises with a stretch band due to his shoulder injury. Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. GlenOak 22. They are more than coaches, said Powell, who lost hisfather when he was young. "We were ahead, with the ball," recalls Kuberacki, 44. "We are confident that under Coach Hall's leadership, our football program will be in very capable and experienced hands and our student-athletes will have a rewarding experience," Rinaldi said. 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. He recounted an encounter with one of the coaches at the mall recently. This is an extraordinary tactic that is used to teach an extraordinary lesson to an extraordinary young man under extraordinary circumstances.. Superintendent Jeff Talbert said surveillance video gave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendation to dismiss the coaches to the school board. Before a playing run in the Canadian Football League, Hall spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, whose head coach was Tony Dungy. There's nobody more tenacious. 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. Talbert said counselors will be available for the football players Friday. "Thom used to tell me, 'You can play him on defense, but if he gets hurt, you're fired.'. 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. You're the king, you're the prince.' 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. … Physically harming is a lot different. Sure, I would have loved it if he had been head coach of the Browns, but I'm glad he has this opportunity. "Caserio was a standout," said Kuberacki. 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. "Black Hebrew Israelites consider themselves Jews; I also consider them to be a Black religionbearing many of the markers of African American spirituality," she said. A football player's family has accused Wattley and his assistant coaches offorcing the player to consume an entire pepperoni pizza against his Hebrew Israelite religious beliefs as punishment for missing a voluntary May 20 strengthening and conditioning workout. Every day . In 2018, Dungy sharply criticized Josh McDaniels for backing out of a head coaching opportunity with the Colts, which is part of the complex national narrative. The Ohio Department of Educations professional conduct division also is reviewing whether the coaches should retain their educational and coaching licenses. Its not like they put their hands on me, but they forced me to eat it, he said. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. "Look at how many times (Mayfield) has had the opportunity and hasn't won those games," Rose said. The player also pushed back on the coaches statements that they were trying to rescue a troubled player and that he had been grounded by his father for smoking marijuana. The Canton McKinley vs. Massillon Washington rivalry is the 13th most played rivalry in the nation, with 129 meetings between the schools. The cheese shoulder injury introduced the family to the Hebrew Israelite faith in 2013 his and..., 2021, 1:55 PM PDT with one of the state & # x27 ; s & ;! Faith in 2013 kicked in canton mckinley football coach to playing quarterback at McKinley when coached! 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