Ohio HSFB Coaches Fired for Allegedly Forcing Hebrew Israelite Player to Eat Pork

An Ohio high school football coach was among seven people fired for allegedly forcing a player to eat food that went against his religious beliefs. 

Per Kelli Weir of The Repository, Canton McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley was fired following a week-long investigation after a player said he was forced to eat pork after missing a voluntary workout. 

The Canton City Board of Education voted not to renew Wattley's contract, as well as the contracts for two assistant football coaches and an assistant baseball coach. The board also voted to make three other assistant coaches ineligible for future coaching positions.

A total of eight coaches were originally suspended by the school on May 26 amid the allegation of misconduct. 

Weir noted the player's family, who are Hebrew Israelite, accused Wattley and his assistant coaches of forcing the player to eat an entire pepperoni pizza as punishment for not taking part in a voluntary workout on May 20. 

Jeff Talbert, Canton City Schools superintendent, said surveillance footage was used to provide administrators with the information needed to make their recommendations for firing Wattley and six others, though he declined to provide details into what happened. 

One of the coaches who was suspended will retain his position because there was no evidence that showed he acted in the same manner as the others. 

Peter Pattakos, Wattley's attorney, said after the decision that portions of the story from the player and his family are either exaggerated or false. Five players who attended the school board meeting backed up Pattakos' comments, saying the player was given the option of eating chicken nuggets instead of pizza. 

Wattley had been the head football coach at Canton McKinley since 2019.