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. to me "dogging" Wattley because you couldn't stand the fact I said McK football is in a much better place now than two years ago and then had to make your 2nd profile of the day yesterday to pose . "Josh knew how to play defensive back," Miller said. Rose's Tigers beat McDaniels' Bulldogs in an overtime shootout in the 100th game between the old rivals, in 1994. Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. Do you support the move? CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - New developments occurred this week in the pizza scandal involving a former Canton McKinley football player and his coaches. Editors Note: Below is a previous report by 19 News about the lawsuit. But of course, we don't know they acted as a group. (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. McLeod on Tuesday said he believes the surveillance video clears the coaches. 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. More on Canton McKinley football: Canton McKinley Bulldogs 2022 high school football preview. Game Summary. 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. Theyve run plenty of sprints. 2023 www.cantonrep.com. He said he later told some of the coaches over the phone that he would get this straightened out because they said some people had suggested that the coaches had tried to physically harm him, which he said was untrue. I think Carr is really good at it. Claim this team Ways you can help Make an impact on this team, and help keep MaxPreps up-to-date. 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. I love them, they know that, Wattley said. The coach was trying to teach a lesson.". Talbert said counselors will be available for the football players Friday. 3. We hope that the district can acknowledge that, too, and bring everyone together.. He went on to play at the University of Kentucky and in the Canadian Football League with Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan. There was no intent (to cause harm), Pattakos said. So I just went with it and went to the contest, the player testified. Canton McKinley football coach's attorney disputes claims by player. Ed Gilbert, the attorney representing the player and his family, told 3News in a statement: "We feel the court made a clear error here. Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. 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.. From 2004 to 2011, Reardon served as head coach at Youngstown Ursuline. Sure, I would have loved it if he had been head coach of the Browns, but I'm glad he has this opportunity. A roughly two-hour disciplinary hearing was held Monday with Canton City school officials about whether Wattley should retain his job as a district academic and athletic liaison. 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. But it wasnt until roughly five years later when the player, then in eighth grade, started to strictly follow the faiths dietary restrictions. They have insisted they weretrying to rescue a troubled player whose off-the-field behavior was influencing his teammates and was jeopardizing his future as a Division I college athlete. . They have said the player chose to pick the pepperoni off the pizza and eat it. His statements were supported by five McKinley football players who attended the school board meeting in support of their eight coaches. McKinley Football Staff Players (57) Staff (1) Antonio Hall Head Coach Are you the coach? Attorney Michael Kahlenberg, who represents the player and his father in the coaches defamation lawsuit, said he cannot comment on pending litigation. "Thom used to tell me, 'You can play him on defense, but if he gets hurt, you're fired.'. They said previous methods of discipline had failed to reach the player. He always pushes the envelope forward. This was an extraordinary situation we all can learn from, Pattakos said. "This report is under investigation, in accordance with our district policies," Canton City Schools told 3News. 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. 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. "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. London Fletcher ran up and dove and hit the back of my ankle. 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. 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.. 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. Superintendent Jeff Talbert said it was surveillance video that gave him the information he needed to make his recommendation. … I was yelling at him, I was telling him I dont eat it because of my religion, the player said. The lawyer representing the students family did not immediately return 19 News request for comment. The incident made international headlines and has spawned three lawsuits. They needed to get through to him some other way. 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. The deposition, where the player testified under oath, was conducted as part of the defamation lawsuit that the coaches filed a year ago against the player, the players father, Kenny Walker, their attorney Edward Gilbert and former assistant coach Josh Grimsley. "We were ahead, with the ball," recalls Kuberacki, 44. Canton City Schools' administrative team received a report of an incident that took place during its strength and conditioning practice on Monday. 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. Few have better insight on McDaniels than current McKinley head coach Antonio Hall. ", "It's (the dismissal) not going to fix the damage that has been done," said Peter Pattakos, the attorney representing the coaches. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattley's first year,. … 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. Location: Massillon, Ohio. The player, who is now 18 years old,said he never brought up his religion to his McKinley coaches or his teammates. Head coach Joe Mazzulla couldn't hide his . He was one of several football players who attended the disciplinary hearing Monday to show their support for 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. Eating pork violated the player's Hebrew Israelite faith. 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. Pro Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for . 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. "While on administrative leave, you are not to be on school property or to have any form of communication or contact with any Canton City School District student(s), parents, or staff member without expressed permission from this office," Canton City Schools Human Resource Director Deidre K. Stokes Davis wrote to Wattley. Gilbert has said the family has agreed to meet with district officials before pursuing a lawsuit. You can get anywhere . 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.. 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, 2021, by forcing him to eat a pepperoni pizza while knowing that it was against his religious beliefs. "It's not going to get the coaches their jobs back. 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