McKinley's Harold Fannin is the Federal League Player of the Year,. He said Wednesday evening that the investigation, which was completed June 1, also includedinterviews with five of the coaches and three players. "I'm very excited Josh is getting another opportunity. . CANTON, Ohio There are new developments in the scandal that once crippled the Canton McKinley football team. ", 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. Example video title will go here for this video. 0:36. DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. "It's not going to get the coaches their jobs back. He is McKinley's fifth head coach in 10 seasons. Nordonia, 11-13 last year, was looking to also avenge a 58-42 loss last year to McKinley as a 19th seed in the . Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. Further action may be taken on the employment contracts of the four oustedcoaches Wattley, Grimsley,McLeodand Sweat who hold other positions within the district, Talbert said. They said the player chose to take off the pepperoni and eat it. Are you hungry? The player admitted he had lied to his teammates and coaches and told them he had been grounded for smoking marijuana. CANTON McKinley High School head football coach Antonio Hall has built quite a rapport with the Bowling Green coaching staff. 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. Hall was a star offensive tackle on the Bulldogs' 1997 national championship team and later earned All-SEC honors at Kentucky before stints as an assistant coach at GlenOak, McKinley, and St. Thomas Aquinas. McLeods disciplinary hearing with school officials over his job as a safety and security liaison was held earlier Monday. 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. School officials told The Repository this week that the school will review its entire athletic program. 2022 OHSAA High School Football Playoff Brackets (Ohio) Region 1. Canton McKinley High School football coach Marcus Wattley. We have a number of careers that have been destroyed here. 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. Example video title will go here for this video, New procedures, clinical trials offer hope for pancreatic cancer patients | Health Yeah. FEB 24 WILSON BOMBSHELL And now we know more about why so many people dislike Russell Wilson. "I remember sitting in the stands watching a McKinley-Masillon ninth-grade game," Rose said. In a letter shared with 3News Investigator Rachel Polansky, Canton City Schools informed Wattley of his placement on administrative leave on Wednesday. Ziegler is the new general manager in Las Vegas; McDaniels is the Raiders' new head coach. They needed to get through to him some other way. Gilbert said the player told the coach at least 10 times that he did not eat pork because he and his family are Hebrew Israelites, a faith thatstrictly forbids the consumption of pork or pork residue. … 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. 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. Pattakos said Wattley previously had witnessed the eating-alone lesson work effectively in a different Division I locker room. A. Mentor (9-4) [I:1] L. 21-34. "They are not Christian or Muslim. Every day . 2023 www.cantonrep.com. Its unclear whether the player told the coaches about the yardwork. Editors Note: Below is a previous report by 19 News about the lawsuit. 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. The Pattakos Law Firm, which represents the former coaches, released a statement after the ruling that said, in part: From the moment these absurd and sensational accusations first went public there were numerous eyewitnesses, including the alleged victims teammates, who were jumping out of their shoes to confirm that the accusations were false. Attorney Stephen Griffin, who represents Gilbert in the coaches defamation lawsuit, declined to respond to Pattakos online post. Rose prefers Carr to Baker Mayfield based on pulling out wins in fourth quarters. Invite the coach CANTON, Ohio (WJW) The Canton City School District Board of Education held a special meeting Thursday evening to discuss further discipline for a group of football coaches. And then … they start telling everyone to get around the gym with the 45-pound plates, and then they start saying if I dont eat it, then the team will have to keep doing the punishment until its all gone. Black Jews, who maintain a Christological perspective and adopt Jewish rituals. 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. I miss my boys. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. 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. All rights reserved. The decision left the player, the players father, Kenny Walker, attorney Edward Gilbert, and former assistant football coach Josh Grimsley as defendants. 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 . 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. A federal judge filed an order Thursday to dismiss the seven former football coaches from a lawsuit claiming they forced the player to eat pork against his religion. MEDINA, Ohio - Solon and Midview both picked up big wins in the OHSAA Division I regional semifinals at Medina High School on Tuesday night. "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. Add the football angle of Massillon-Hoban and this is a can't miss. Solon defeated Canton McKinley 61-40 in the opener and then Midview followed suit with a 70-45 win over Archbishop Hoban.. Solon and Midview will meet up at Medina High School on Saturday, March 4th at 7 p.m. in the regional final with a spot in the . 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. He served as interim during the 2021 season. Poll: Head football coach Marcus Wattley, six others dismissed for misconduct. Disciplinary hearings for assistant coaches Joshua Grimsley and Zachary Sweat, both of whom are school resource assistants, are scheduled over the next week. Pattakos, who said the player apologized to the coaches and showed up for the voluntary workout the next day after his punishment, blames anassistant coach for inflaming the situation by reporting an exaggerated version to administrators and the players family. Attorney Pattakos released the following statement on behalf of Marcus Wattley late Thursday night: "We asked the district to postpone their decision for at least one more week to allow for this matter to be fully and fairly investigated, including upon full consideration of the testimony of the numerous Canton McKinley football players who witnessed this event and were at tonight's board meeting wanting to tell anyone who would listen that the story being advanced by the alleged victim's father and attorney is not true. (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. No Bulldogs coachs tenure has spanned more than five years since Thom McDaniels guided the program from 1982-1997. 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. The others mentioned above stayed in football. 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. Gilbert says his team, the player, and his family are now determining if they will appeal the dismissal. Several years earlier, Lee Kuberacki had explored transferring to McKinley High School, but he stayed at Canton South partly because the Bulldogs already had a quarterback McDaniels. Pattakos said the punishment was not merely for missing a single voluntary workout. . This young man wasnt forced to eat anything, Pattakos said. "He's proven he's a hell of a coach," Rose said. Location: Massillon, Ohio. 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. The Ohio Department of Educations professional conduct division also is reviewing whether the coaches should retain their educational and coaching licenses. 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 City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert hasn't released details of what happened on May 24. Record: 10-0. Last offseason, former McKinley star Harold Fannin signed with . Hall, who also serves as McKinley's athletic director,. Wattley spoke Monday following a roughly two-hour disciplinary hearing with Canton City school officials about whether Wattley should retain his job as a district academic and athletic liaison. The lawyer representing the students family did not immediately return 19 News request for comment. 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. McKinley started the shortened 2020 COVID season 3-0 before losing three of its final five games. You can get anywhere . We feel that he overreacted.". An investigation found the seven staff members made a player eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs. 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. I think I said, Im sorry for missing practice and I wont let it happen again or something across those lines, the player testified. Before the pizza incident happened, I respected them and had love for them for what theyve done for me throughout the years, he said, citing the times they would drive him to practice and appointments and helped him get his knee surgery. The player said coach McLeod had been sitting in a chair beside him eating a piece of the pizza. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - New developments occurred this week in the pizza scandal involving a former Canton McKinley football player and his coaches. newsletter. 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. Its unclear from the players testimony whether the other coaches heard the player talking about his religion. Earlier this month, Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert released a video statement to, "set the record straight" about the recent firing of seven McKinley High School football coaches. Thats the lesson that needed to get through to him.. The students said the playerhas since apologized to them and to the coaches. He was calling an audible. Superintendent Jeff Talbert said surveillance video gave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendation to dismiss the coaches to the school board. But it wasnt until roughly five years later when the player, then in eighth grade, started to strictly follow the faiths dietary restrictions. Video showed the moments the player claims the coaches forced him to eat a pork-based pepperoni pizza after showing up later to a non-mandatory practice. Nobody wins in this.. CANTON The former McKinley High School football player who is suing the Canton City School District and his former coaches over alleged civil rights violationssays the coaches likely didnt know about his religious beliefs before the day they forced him to eat a pepperoni pizza as punishment for missing a practice. As of Monday, both investigations were ongoing. 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. And then there was this crust left, and Coach Brodie ordered me to eat the crust too till it was all gone for the team to be done.. 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 . He has beenan assistant coach at McKinley, GlenOak and St. Thomas Aquinas. Judge John Adams found there was not enough evidence to support allegations made by legal representation of the student-athlete. A federal judge said there was insufficient evidence to support allegations that the player was forced to eat food against his religion. 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.. Its absolutely, totally ridiculous, Gilbert said. Hall is a member of the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame and the Canton McKinley Football Hall of Fame. Thursdays board action only affects thecoaching contracts. "McDaniels was a good possession receiver. He described various drills, including the Hallway of Hell workout, that players had to complete when they were absent. 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. Fletcher played 256 NFL games, third all-time among linebackers behind Junior Seau (268) and Clay Matthews (278). He was so far ahead ahead of the curve.". The Canton City School Board held a special meeting Thursday evening to discuss the incident that occurred . . 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. 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. ", "It's (the dismissal) not going to fix the damage that has been done," said Peter Pattakos, the attorney representing the coaches. 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. Talbert said surveillance videogave administrators the information they needed to warrant their recommendations to the board. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - The whistleblower who alerted school officials about the alleged actions of Canton McKinley High School coaches said he was unfairly . The player testified he walked into the Frank Turk Alberta Football Operations Center and went into the weight room. Repository reporters Kelli Weir, Charita Goshay,Steve Doerschuk and Josh Weir contributed to this story. He went on to play at the University of Kentucky and in the Canadian Football League with Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan. CANTON, Ohio With an attorney by his side, the father of a junior at McKinley Senior High School shared his anger after he told News 5 his son, who is a . Before a playing run in the Canadian Football League, Hall spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, whose head coach was Tony Dungy. 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 . He also had exceptional talent that few McKinley coaches have recently enjoyed. 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. Canton McKinley Bulldogs 2022 high school football preview, online post that accompanies the transcripts, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ', 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. Canton McKinley High School Head Football Coach Marcus Wattley and six assistant coaches have been fired after trying to force a player to eat pork against his religious beliefs. 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. 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." If not, then you can leave. Thats the lesson.. 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. The Canton Repository has agreed to not name the 17-year-old player, who has received interest from Division I colleges. 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