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.. Talbert said it was the surveillance video that gave him the information he needed to make his recommendation to fire Wattley and his assistants. Its unclear from the players testimony whether the other coaches heard the player talking about his religion. 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. Team Statistics. The incident made international headlines and has spawned three lawsuits. 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 . 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. You can get anywhere . Attorney Michael Kahlenberg, who represents the player and his father in the coaches defamation lawsuit, said he cannot comment on pending litigation. 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. Im not going to respond to every allegation that comes up because its like a moving target. 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. He said he has lost respect for the McKinley coaches he once admired. He always pushes the envelope forward. The player said he continued to protest and at one point kicked the box, but the box was brought back to him. 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 sprints werent working,Pattakos said. "Thom used to tell me, 'You can play him on defense, but if he gets hurt, you're fired.'. Its unclear whether the player told the coaches about the yardwork. Coaching career. 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. Thursdays board action only affects thecoaching contracts. 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. Canton McKinley Football's "You Can Get There From Here" series. There's nobody more tenacious. "He's proven he's a hell of a coach," Rose said. 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.. There was no intent (to cause harm), Pattakos said. An investigation found the seven staff members made a player eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs. Explore the benefits. I will defer to Judge Haupt and her able staff to handle. The decision left the player, the players father, Kenny Walker, attorney Edward Gilbert, and former assistant football coach Josh Grimsley as defendants. The player said coach McLeod had been sitting in a chair beside him eating a piece of the pizza. Black Jews, who maintain a Christological perspective and adopt Jewish rituals. The weekly sessions are now monthly check-ins. He said thedistricts nearly weeklong investigation found that the coaches on May 24 engaged in actions that were deemed"inappropriate, demeaning and divisive" during a non-mandatory strengthening and conditioning workout in the high schools auxiliary gym. Pattakos said Wattley previously had witnessed the eating-alone lesson work effectively in a different Division I locker room. I'm just glad he has this opportunity. So do my clients.". The most important thing for Mr. Wattley at this point is that the truth comes out so that his name is cleared of these ridiculous charges against him, and we will make sure that happens. According to his deposition testimony, the players father first introduced the family to the Hebrew Israelite faith in 2013. Video that shows the events that led to 7 McKinley High School coaches being removed. He said the student had stopped regularly communicating with his coaches, had left workouts early, and had been acting disrespectfully to coaches. violated the player's constitutional rights, the districts completed internal investigation, interviews with five of the coaches and three players, Hebrew Israelites do consider themselves to be Jewish, was hired as the districts interim head football coach for the upcoming season, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. More about Hebrew Israelites: Canton family's faith at the center of McKinley High football coach abuse allegations, I miss my boys. But, he still faces the possibility of. A federal judge said there was insufficient evidence to support allegations that the player was forced to eat food against his religion. "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," Talbert 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. . Last offseason, former McKinley star Harold Fannin signed with . He was so far ahead ahead of the curve.". McKinley's Harold Fannin Jr. runs after a catch against GlenOak at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. The trial was set to begin Monday in Stark County Common Pleas Court. 11, 2021 at 4:07 PM PDT. 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.. I think Carr is really good at it. I said I dont eat pepperoni because I dont want to eat it because the grease is cooked in with the cheese. Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. Wattley and his staff deserved better than this, and more importantly, so did the young men in that locker room and the whole Canton McKinley community. On 10/28, the McKinley varsity football team won their home playoff game against GlenOak (Canton, OH) by a score of 40-22. McDaniels kicked in addition to playing quarterback at McKinley when Miller coached the Bulldogs' defensive backs. 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. By The Associated Press. 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. The player testified he knew consequences existed for missing off-season workouts, which he said the coaches called mandatory. He emphasized that the player had the ability to leave at any time and had the option of selecting an alternative food that did not contain pork. "(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. 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. GlenOak 22. 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. But the player testified that Wattley told him that if he walked out, he couldnt come back. Wattley's attorney Peter Pattakostold The Canton Repository on Mondaythat Wattley and the assistant 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. Fletcher played 256 NFL games, third all-time among linebackers behind Junior Seau (268) and Clay Matthews (278). 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. He saidthe video would not be publicly released due to federal student privacy regulations. Superintendent Jeff Talbert called the actions of the coaches "inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive. I wasnt taking it, so then he just sat it down right beside me again. 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. Key players: P/E Horace Gillom, HB Tommy James, OL Jim Russell. 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. The others mentioned above stayed in football. Repository reporters Kelli Weir, Charita Goshay,Steve Doerschuk and Josh Weir contributed to this story. As of Monday, both investigations were ongoing. With the same vote, the board also deemed assistant football coaches Frank McLeod, Zachary Sweat and Josh Grimsley as ineligible for future coaching positions. 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. Thom McDaniels is a retired Ohio high school football coach.. "McDaniels was a good possession receiver. The Rev. . He again declined to provide details of what happened that day and saidthe video would not be publicly released due to federal student privacy regulations. According to Pattakos and the students, the player had the ability to leave at any time and Wattley had offered the player chicken nuggets instead of the pizza after the player said he didnt eat pork. 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. He was asked to accept this form of a lesson. CANTON, Ohio There are new developments in the scandal that once crippled the Canton McKinley football team. 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. 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 . The Canton City School Board held a special meeting Thursday evening to discuss the incident that occurred . Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Wattley and seven assistant coaches have been suspended by the Canton City School District after one of the players said. Hall is one of the drivers behind the Marion Motley statue planned for a spot near the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Like everyone else in Browns country, Hall tuned into the 2020 head coach search in which the Browns strongly considered McDaniels and Robert Saleh but hired Kevin Stefanski. 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. I try to incorporate that with my coaches every day.. In a letter shared with 3News Investigator Rachel Polansky, Canton City Schools informed Wattley of his placement on administrative leave on Wednesday. Pattakos blamed an assistant coach, whom he did not name, for inflaming the situation by reporting an exaggerated version to administrators and the players family. The player, who is now 18 years old,said he never brought up his religion to his McKinley coaches or his teammates. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. 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.. "What I can tell you is that all of our athletes are safe, we are continuing on with our strengthening and conditioning program and we will investigate this according to our district policies. He disputed Pattakos' statement that Wattley had offered the player chicken nuggets or any alternative food. (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. "The Raiders have a lot of the pieces they need to be a great team, starting with the quarterback. More on the McDaniels family: Canton council approves street name change to honor McDaniels football family. Deservedly so. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. See below to read the full 10-page ruling from Judge Adams: Copyright 2022 WOIO. The Canton Repository has agreed to not name the 17-year-old player, who has received interest from Division I colleges. "We were ahead, with the ball," recalls Kuberacki, 44. McKinley's Harold Fannin is the Federal League Player of the Year,. Records show the Canton City School District and Superintendent Jeff Talbert were already dismissed from the lawsuit. "Josh knew how to play defensive back," Miller said. He was one of several football players who attended the disciplinary hearing Monday to show their support for Wattley. 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. He is McKinley's fifth head coach in 10 seasons. Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in Wattley's first year,. Pattakos said he believesthe assistant coach wanted Wattleys job. Pattakos said Wattley previously had witnessed the eating-alone lesson work effectively in a different Division I locker room. Head coach Joe Mazzulla couldn't hide his . ", In June of last year, former McKinley head coach Marcus Wattley and six of his assistant coaches were fired by Canton City Schools following an investigation into misconduct. His statements were supported by five McKinley football players who attended the school board meeting in support of their eight coaches. He later called the special board meeting that resulted in the] group of coaches losing their jobs. "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. All rights reserved. More on Canton McKinley football: Canton McKinley Bulldogs 2022 high school football preview. Its not like they put their hands on me, but they forced me to eat it, he said. Note: This video has been altered to protect kids' identities. Feb 9. "Looking back," Hall said, "Cleveland wasn't the right time or the right place. 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. We hope that the district can acknowledge that, too, and bring everyone together.. Poll: Head football coach Marcus Wattley, six others dismissed for misconduct. "It's not going to get the coaches their jobs back. 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. 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. Theyve run plenty of sprints. McDaniels is a significant donor. Repository sports writer Josh Weir contributed to this article. Las Vegas is, and he's going to rock it 'til the wheels fall off. 3. It says in the Bible that its unclean if you touch it, said the player who said his family attends the Gathering of Christ Church in Cleveland. The attorney alsoblamesthe Canton City School District for conducting a rushed and incomplete investigation, an accusation the district denies. The Ohio Department of Educations professional conduct division also is reviewing whether the coaches should retain their educational and coaching licenses. Black Hebrews, who are more traditional in their practice of Judaism. Claim this team Ways you can help Make an impact on this team, and help keep MaxPreps up-to-date. They said the player chose to take off the pepperoni and eat it. 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. This form of a coach, '' Miller said support allegations that the player chose to off... 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