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. Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert hasn't released details of what happened on May 24. It has left one of Ohio's most storied prep football programs working quickly to reset for its upcoming season and the Canton City School District in limbo as it awaits word on whetherthe player's familywill file a First Amendment lawsuitand whether criminal hazing chargeswill be filed against the coaches. 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. 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. 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. McLeod on Tuesday said he believes the surveillance video clears the coaches. 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. Following a due-process hearing with the Canton City School District June 8, the attorney for Canton McKinley Senior High . FEB 24 WILSON BOMBSHELL And now we know more about why so many people dislike Russell Wilson. He always pushes the envelope forward. 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. Wattley, through his attorney Peter Pattakos, saidthe accusations that thecoaches forced a 17-year-old player to eat an entire pepperoni pizza against his Hebrew Israelite religious beliefs for missing a voluntary May 20 strengthening and conditioning workoutarefalse and exaggerated. His father, during his own separate deposition testimony, said he had found the tobaccowrapperin his son's pants pockets and that he had told one of thecoaches that his son was grounded for smoking. The father acknowledged that he never explicitly said whether the smoking referred to a cigaror marijuana. "These quarterbacks that get their teams deep in the playoffs all can score in the fourth quarter. John Carroll went on to an 18-12 win. 40-22 (W) McKinley vs. GlenOak. We will continue to make every reasonable effort to ensure that justice is served in this case.. The Canton McKinley grad could be looking at drafting a new quarterback with the No. They said the player chose to take off the pepperoni and eat it. 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. 1940 Massillon Washington High School. 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. Game Summary. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - Canton City Schools held a special meeting Thursday evening that addressed a controversy involving seven McKinley High School football coaches and a student-athlete.. See below to read the full 10-page ruling from Judge Adams: Copyright 2022 WOIO. 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.. His defense is all over the place. Updated: Jun. (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. This is not something that he made up, Pattakos said. 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. Feb 9. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. He is McKinley's fifth head coach in 10 seasons. He also had exceptional talent that few McKinley coaches have recently enjoyed. What we are most certain of is that this communitys unfortunate loss will be another communitys gain, and that Mr. Wattleys excellent record as a coach, educator, and community servant will continue to speak for itself to anyone interested in the truth.". The weekly sessions are now monthly check-ins. I dont know what they would have thought, but what was going through my mind at the time was if I would have told them, they would have still had me come to the trainer, but I couldnt do nothing with my shoulder at the time. Now Kuberacki was Marietta's QB; McDaniels was a John Carroll receiver. 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. Monica A. Coleman, a theologian and professor of Africana studies at the University of Delaware, said someHebrew Israelites do consider themselves to be Jewish. 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. He said Wednesday evening that the investigation, which was completed June 1, also includedinterviews with five of the coaches and three players. 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. When Pattakos asked him whether he planned to cut the coaches out of his life forever, the player said, I mean, I dont plan on rebuilding no relationship we had.. 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. Im not going to respond to every allegation that comes up because its like a moving target. Jack Rose, who coached against McDaniels at Massillon in the '90s, is betting on him now. We feel the coaches knew what they did and the judge wanted us to be specific. 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. He has beenan assistant coach at McKinley, GlenOak and St. Thomas Aquinas. Theyve run plenty of sprints. A jury trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court is set for Sept. 19. 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. McDaniels kicked in addition to playing quarterback at McKinley when Miller coached the Bulldogs' defensive backs. They needed to get through to him some other way. 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. Frank McLeod, one of the assistant coaches who was dismissed, on Tuesday said he believes the district's surveillance video clears the coaches. DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. We feel that he overreacted.". 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. Fletcher played 256 NFL games, third all-time among linebackers behind Junior Seau (268) and Clay Matthews (278). 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. Gilberts attorney, Stephen P. Griffin, declined comment. "I remember sitting in the stands watching a McKinley-Masillon ninth-grade game," Rose said. Wattley and seven assistant coaches have been suspended by the Canton City School District after one of the players said. Four young men in this program have been shot in this last calendar year alone, Pattakos said. 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. A district investigation found the charges against the coaches to be true, and Superintendent Jeff Talbert called their actions "inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive." I don't think that's going to happen now, with Josh there.". Gilbert said the family has delayed filing its lawsuit because the district has asked to mediate the dispute out of court. 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. 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. Editors Note: Below is a previous report by 19 News about the lawsuit. CANTON McKinley High School head football coach Antonio Hall has built quite a rapport with the Bowling Green coaching staff. Canton McKinley High School head football coach Marcus Wattley placed on administrative leave along with seven assistants More Headlines: Canton's history-making fire chief reveals big. He previously served as the quarterbacks coach for the University of Michigan and also previously serving as the interim wide receivers coach in late 2018. Superintendent Jeff Talbert said it was surveillance video that gave him the information he needed to make his recommendation. The coach was trying to teach a lesson.". It remains a tragedy that these good men lost their jobs over this but with todays ruling theyve at least received some small measure of justice and they are extremely grateful for that.. CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - The whistleblower who alerted school officials about the alleged actions of Canton McKinley High School coaches said he was unfairly . Kuberacki went on to a fascinating Air Force career that is its own story. 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.. He has been Canton's AD for less than a year. CANTON, Ohio The lawyer for a Canton McKinley High School football player has released video that he says contradicts claims that the student was not forced to consume a pepperoni pizza. 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." The player said McLeod didnt react and continued to eat the pizza next to him. The sprints werent working,Pattakos said. Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. We have a number of careers that have been destroyed here. 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. The player said he felt badabout eating the ribs after seeing news reports in 2021 that the ribs had been pork. Canton McKinley sophomore Dante McClellan looks to make a play at Akron East, Wed., Feb. 15, 2023 "We struggled at the rim," Vlkajkovich said. 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. Location: Massillon, Ohio. 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. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - New developments occurred this week in the pizza scandal involving a former Canton McKinley football player and his coaches. 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. Grimsley's attorney, Bartholomew T. Freeze, could not be reached Thursday. 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. One of the state's most successful coaches . A federal judge in U.S. District Court dismissed seven former football coaches from a lawsuit filed by a former football player and his family, citing insufficient evidence to support allegations that the player was forced to eat food against his religion. Ed Gilbert, the attorney representing the player and his family, told 3News in a statement: "We feel the court made a clear error here. CNN Seven of eight Ohio high school football coaches who allegedly forced a Hebrew Israelite player to eat a pizza that previously had pork on it, despite knowing his beliefs forbade him. Their complex narrative is being analyzed around the country. A. Mentor (9-4) [I:1] L. 21-34. 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. Note: This video has been altered to protect kids' identities. They said previous methods of discipline had failed to reach the player. . Its unclear from the players testimony whether the other coaches heard the player talking about his religion. "The type of behavior was inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive.". Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. 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. Pattakos said he believesthe assistant coach wanted Wattleys job. I just dont understand why after I said I dont eat pork, they didnt take it (the pepperoni pizza) away. 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, an investigation into misconduct against a player, Bigger than basketball: How a small team, facing huge odds, became champions, Keith Wakefield retires after 30 seasons as Perry Panthers football coach, OHSAA to expand football playoffs to 16 teams, Romero Harris - Weight room coach and baseball assistant. This is an extraordinary tactic that is used to teach an extraordinary lesson to an extraordinary young man under extraordinary circumstances.. McKinley Senior High School Grades 9-12 2323 17th St NW, Canton, OH 44708. 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,. Wattley was hired at McKinley in 2019 and McLeod has been coaching since 2004. We hope that the district can acknowledge that, too, and bring everyone together.. No. They needed to show him what it was like to be the only man eating in a room full of hungry, working men. 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. 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. "Josh was a coach on the field. He disputed Pattakos' statement that Wattley had offered the player chicken nuggets or any alternative food. After the hearings, Canton City Schools spokeswoman Lisa Reicosky said Superintendent Jeff Talbertis expectedto make a recommendation to the Canton City school board regarding their employment outside of their coaching positions. He went on to play at the University of Kentucky and in the Canadian Football League with Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan. 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