Antonio Hall was named head coach of the McKinley High School football team on Monday. We feel the coaches knew what they did and the judge wanted us to be specific. "I've always thought if he got another shot at a head coaching job, he would flourish. 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. We hope that the district can acknowledge that, too, and bring everyone together.. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. 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. McKinley football player Mani Powell said he wants his coaches back. Seven high school football coaches have been fired from McKinley Senior High School in Canton, Ohio on Thursday following an incident in which a Jewish student-athlete was forced to eat a . 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.. McKinley's Harold Fannin is the Federal League Player of the Year,. "It's not going to get the coaches their jobs back. The trial was set to begin Monday in Stark County Common Pleas Court. 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. We feel that he overreacted.". … 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. Canton City Schools' administrative team received a report of an incident that took place during its strength and conditioning practice on Monday. 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 . Talbert said surveillance videogave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendations to the board. 3 Nordonia (17-5), 7 p.m. Saturday . McLeods disciplinary hearing with school officials over his job as a safety and security liaison was held earlier Monday. With the same vote, the board also deemed assistant football coaches Frank McLeod, Zachary Sweat and Josh Grimsley as ineligible for future coaching positions. Frank McLeod, one of the assistant coaches who was dismissed, on Tuesday said he believes the district's surveillance video clears the coaches. CANTON, Ohio There are new developments in the scandal that once crippled the Canton McKinley football team. "The type of behavior was inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive.". Disciplinary hearings for assistant coaches Joshua Grimsley and Zachary Sweat, both of whom are school resource assistants, are scheduled over the next week. Canton McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistants were firedlast weekfollowingallegations thecoaches forced a 17-year-old player to eat an entire pepperoni pizza against his Hebrew Israelite religious beliefs as punishment for missing a voluntary workout. Anna players and coaches pose with the Division VI state championship trophy following the team's 48-14 win over New Middletown Springfield on Friday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. I just always told them whenever they bought food and stuff, I told them I dont eat pork and left it at that, he said. McKinley's Harold Fannin Jr. runs after a catch against GlenOak at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Other coaches involved have not responded to requests for comment or have declined comment. The truth about the Canton school board's indefensible decision to fire McKinley football coach Marcus Wattley and his staff over false accusations that they forced a player to eat pork against his religion "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes." Nobody wins in this.. This is an extraordinary tactic that is used to teach an extraordinary lesson to an extraordinary young man under extraordinary circumstances.. An attorney representing Marcus Wattley told 3News Investigates that there's more to this story that hasn't been told. 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. 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'. "I remember sitting in the stands watching a McKinley-Masillon ninth-grade game," Rose said. 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. 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. An investigation found the seven staff members made a player eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs. A jury trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court is set for Sept. 19. "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 want special treatment? According to Gilbert,Wattley on May 24 ordered the player to sit in a chair in the middle of the gym and consume an entire pepperoni pizza while his teammates andcoaches yelled at him. "This incident does not reflect the Canton City School District's culture of protecting the physical and emotional wellbeing of our students.". CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - Former Canton McKinley football coach Marcus Wattley is still fighting to get his job back as the head coach of the Bulldogs. He always tries to make the people around him better. Beyond the disciplinary hearings, two other investigations remain open: The Canton City police department is investigating whether the coaches conduct rises to the level of a criminal hazing charge. It was just hurting to lift it in the air., When a coach sent him a text message asking him about his absence, the player responded that Ill owe you Monday.. A. Mentor (9-4) [I:1] L. 21-34. The attorney alsoblamesthe Canton City School District for conducting a rushed and incomplete investigation, an accusation the district denies. Pattakos wrote the evidence collected during the discovery phase of the lawsuit revealed information that wasn't known when the lawsuit was filed in July 2021, including the admission by the player that didnt explicitly tell the coaches about his Hebrew Israelite beliefs and that a surveillance video the district used as the basis of its internal investigation was missing a two-minute span of time. After meeting for more than an hour in executive session, the board of education unanimously voted to terminate Wattley's contract, along with the following other coaches: Wattley and the remaining six coaches were originally on administrative leave following an accusation that they forced a student to eat pepperoni pizza after he showed up late to a non-mandatory practice on May 24. McKinley started the shortened 2020 COVID season 3-0 before losing three of its final five games. Thursdays board action only affects thecoaching contracts. I don't think that's going to happen now, with Josh there.". I just dont understand why after I said I dont eat pork, they didnt take it (the pepperoni pizza) away. CANTON A shortened fall camp and two abbreviated scrimmages left Mentor football coach Matt Gray a little unsure what he had in his 2021 football team heading into the season opener Aug.. The player testified that he was grounded because his father found a Black & Mild wrapper. They needed to get through to him some other way. Do you support the move, Interim McKinley Bulldogs football coach Antonio Hall will look to 'put our kids first', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. According to his deposition testimony, the players father first introduced the family to the Hebrew Israelite faith in 2013. He didnt provide a reason why. "Josh came out of the huddle, went up to the line, then stepped back. Talbert said counselors will be available for the football players Friday. "McDaniels was a good possession receiver. There was no intent (to cause harm), Pattakos said. The Rev. Pattakos has blamed an assistant coach, whom he believes wanted Wattleys job, for presenting an exaggerated version of the story to school officials and the player's family. They needed to show him what it was like to be the only man eating in a room full of hungry, working men. Pattakos, on behalf of Wattley and assistant coach Frank McLeod, on Monday described a situation where the coaches were trying to rescue a troubled player whose off-the-field behavior was negatively influencing his teammates and jeopardizing his future as a Division I college athlete. 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. He was offered chicken (nuggets) and (told), You can sit here and eat. A district investigation found the charges against the coaches to be true, and Superintendent Jeff Talbert called their actions "inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive." ", SUBSCRIBE:Get the day's top headlines sent to your inbox each weekday morning with the free 3News to GO! Bulldogs logo for the Canton City School District in Ohio. Nobody is perfect, not even Coach Wattley is perfect and he knows that. Talbert went on to say that video would not be publicly released due to federal student privacy regulations. McDaniels previously served as the wide receivers . "I ran around the corner seeing nothing but open space. Attorney Peter Pattakos, the lead attorney representing six of the former McKinley football coaches in two of the lawsuits related to the pizza-eating incident, on Thursday released a 298-page transcript of the players roughlyseven-hour testimony that was taken as part of a court deposition. I will defer to Judge Haupt and her able staff to handle. MEDINA, Ohio - Solon and Midview both picked up big wins in the OHSAA Division I regional semifinals at Medina High School on Tuesday night. However, the family in question identifies themselves as Christian. Eating pork violated the player's Hebrew Israelite faith. 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. In the trial that was to start Monday, Stark County Common Pleas Judge Natalie Haupt had dismissed Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert and board members John J.R. Rinaldi, Scott Russ, Kim Brown, David Kaminski and Eric Resnick from the case. Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. I'll buy you a pizza and we can all watch you eat. 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. It is a substantial piece of justice for the coaches that they are very grateful for.". This was an extraordinary situation we all can learn from, Pattakos said. 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. Canton City Schools SuperintendentJeff Talbert reiterated the statements he gave Wednesday when he announced the coaches would face further discipline. 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