CANTON, Ohio — The pinnacle soccer coach at an Ohio highschool and 6 different coaches there have been ousted after a soccer participant stated he was pressured to eat pork in violation of his non secular beliefs for lacking a voluntary exercise.
The Canton Metropolis Board of Training voted unanimously Thursday to not renew the teaching contracts of Canton McKinley head soccer coach Marcus Wattley, two of his assistants and an assistant baseball coach, The Canton Repository reported. With the identical vote, the board additionally deemed three different assistant soccer coaches as ineligible for future teaching positions.
The district had suspended the coaches final week after the 17-year-old participant reported what occurred to him on Might 24. One other coach was additionally suspended, however he’ll stay as an assistant coach as a result of the proof didn’t present that he acted in the identical method as the opposite coaches, officers stated.
A lawyer for the teenager participant’s household has introduced plans to sue the college district. The participant and his household are members of the Hebrew Israelite non secular religion and don’t eat pork.
District superintendent Jeff Talbert stated surveillance video gave directors the knowledge they wanted to warrant their suggestions to the board. Nonetheless, he declined to offer particulars of what occurred and stated the video wouldn’t be publicly launched as a consequence of federal scholar privateness rules.
Peter Pattakos, an legal professional retained by Wattley, stated particulars of the occasions have been exaggerated and components are false. His statements have been supported by 5 soccer gamers who attended the college board assembly in help of the eight coaches.
Pattakos and the scholars stated the participant might have left at any time, including that Wattley provided the teenager hen nuggets as a substitute of pepperoni pizza after the participant stated he didn’t eat pork. They stated the participant selected to take off the pepperoni and eat the pizza.
Pattakos blamed an assistant coach, whom he didn’t identify, for inflaming the scenario by reporting an exaggerated model to directors and the participant’s household. Pattakos additionally blamed the district for conducting a “rushed and incomplete” investigation.
Talbert disputed the claims concerning the investigation, saying the video gave them sufficient data to find out that the coaches acted inappropriately.
The teenager’s legal professional, Ed Gilbert, stated the participant skipped a voluntary exercise 4 days earlier than the incident whereas nursing a sore shoulder. He was ordered to take a seat in the midst of the fitness center and eat a whole pepperoni pizza, Gilbert stated. He was allowed to take away the pepperoni and a number of the cheese, however pork residue remained, Gilbert stated.
The teenager would have been subjected to extra drills and his standing on the crew may need been jeopardized if he had not adopted Wattley’s order, Gilbert stated.
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