See below to read the full 10-page ruling from Judge Adams: Copyright 2022 WOIO. More about Hebrew Israelites: Canton family's faith at the center of McKinley High football coach abuse allegations, I miss my boys. … I was yelling at him, I was telling him I dont eat it because of my religion, the player said. 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. The 17-year-old belongs to. Example video title will go here for this video. Thats why it raises concerns when this young man doesnt text his coaches and explains where he is when they are expecting them to be at a voluntary workout, even though it is voluntary. 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 remember them cussing at me, but I remember Coach Wattley saying that if I dont eat it then … the team is going to keep doing the workouts and if I was to leave, then I couldnt come back, he said. I miss my boys. Following a due-process hearing with the Canton City School District June 8, the attorney for Canton McKinley Senior High . Other coaches involved have not responded to requests for comment or have declined comment. Religion historianJames Tinney classified Hebrew Israelites intothree basic groups: According to Gospel Coalition,many if not most Hebrew Israelite groupsreject the Trinity and Christ's divinity, two central tenets of traditional Christianity. His deposition is the first time the public has heard from the player in his own words about the discipline on May 24, 2021, where coaches sat the then-17-year-old player in the middle of an auxiliary gym and ordered his teammates to circle the gym doing exercises with 45-pound weights until the player ate an entire pepperoni pizza. CANTONMarcus Wattley broke his silence Monday about the discipline of a player that led to the end of his career as McKinley High Schools head football coach. A jury trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court is set for Sept. 19. Two days after Grimsley sent the message, the district suspended Grimsley, Wattley and six other assistant coaches while it investigated allegations of misconduct before firing Wattley, Grimsley and five other coaches on June 3. Pattakos asked Judge Haupt to reinstate the district leaders as defendants in the lawsuit, but she denied the request Wednesday, in part because the trial was to start Monday. 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. Superintendent Jeff Talbert called the actions of the coaches "inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive. If not, then you can leave. Thats the lesson.. The attorney alsoblamesthe Canton City School District for conducting a rushed and incomplete investigation, an accusation the district denies. He said the student had stopped regularly communicating with his coaches, had left workouts early, and had been acting disrespectfully to coaches. 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. 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. No. 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. "As a coach, you can be frustrated watching that. But attorney Peter Pattakos, who was retained by Wattley on Thursday, said Thursday that version of events is exaggerated and parts of it are false. Monica A. Coleman, a theologian and professor of Africana studies at the University of Delaware, said someHebrew Israelites do consider themselves to be Jewish. Updated: Jun. 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 . … 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 testified he knew consequences existed for missing off-season workouts, which he said the coaches called mandatory. 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. 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. Thursdays board action only affects thecoaching contracts. 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. 2022 Canton McKinley Football (6-6) Coach: Antonio Hall. Return for updates. The Canton McKinley grad could be looking at drafting a new quarterback with the No. 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. No Bulldogs coachs tenure has spanned more than five years since Thom McDaniels guided the program from 1982-1997. Grimsley's attorney, Bartholomew T. Freeze, could not be reached Thursday. DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. 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. 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. 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. Grimsleys message advised Humphrey that he had concerns with how the student was treated. School board president John "J.R." Rinaldi said Hall will continue to serve as the district's athletic director and will work with the district's administrative team to build his football staff. "I've always thought if he got another shot at a head coaching job, he would flourish. 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. In an email to 3News, Canton City Schools says its administrative team received a report of an incident that took place on Monday, May 24, during McKinley footballs strength and conditioning practice. ', 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. I love them, they know that. as the first-year head coach of the Denver Broncos, McDaniels saw his team go . 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. Pattakos intends to refile the lawsuit as soon as is practicable. In a statement, he said the goal of the new lawsuit is to hold the school district leaders accountable for the harm they caused the coaches when they failed to fully investigate the accusations, did not inform the public truthfully and did not treat all involved parties fairly. He described various drills, including the Hallway of Hell workout, that players had to complete when they were absent. Poll: Head football coach Marcus Wattley, six others dismissed for misconduct. "Looking back," Hall said, "Cleveland wasn't the right time or the right place. 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. Bulldogs logo for the Canton City School District in Ohio. This community deserves afull and thorough investigation and its obvious that this hasnt happened, said Pattakos, as he pointed to the players. Add the football angle of Massillon-Hoban and this is a can't miss. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - New developments occurred this week in the pizza scandal involving a former Canton McKinley football player and his coaches. Pattakos said Wattley previously had witnessed the eating-alone lesson work effectively in a different Division I locker room. An attorney representing Marcus Wattley told 3News Investigates that there's more to this story that hasn't been told. "The type of behavior was inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive.". 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. December 4, 2004 (at Canton Fawcett Stadium) Canton McKinley 3 7 0 0 10 (11-4) Cincinnati Colerain 6 17 20 7 50 (15-0) Coaches: Brian Cross (Canton McKinley); Kerry Coombs (Cincinnati Colerain) Attendance (unofficial): 16,885. On May 24, 2021, head football coach Marcus Wattley allegedly forced an unnamed 17-year-old football team member to eat a pizza made with pork, although the student's religious beliefs prohibited him . I love them, they know that, Wattley said. The player, who is now 18 years old,said he never brought up his religion to his McKinley coaches or his teammates. 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. They have said the player chose to pick the pepperoni off the pizza and eat it. You can get anywhere . I just dont understand why after I said I dont eat pork, they didnt take it (the pepperoni pizza) away. Besides pork, the player said he also abstains from eating seafood because its a bottom feeder, just like a pig.. 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. "Caserio was a standout," said Kuberacki. Pro Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for . 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. The sprints werent working, Pattakos said. Canton McKinley Football's "You Can Get There From Here" series. Talbert said counselors will be available for the football players Friday. 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