# I pit the McKinley High School football coaches of Canton, Ohio **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 2, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507 "2021-06-02T22:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/101 "2021-06-03T22:17:44Z")
Who knows? All I know is that they are clearly more than three dudes. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/102 "2021-06-03T22:19:01Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > If the whole point was to force him to eat pork, why not just, y’know, force him to eat pork, instead of forcing him into a **technical** violation? Bolding mine. This is not a technical violation, it’s a violation, period. People who follow religious instruction about eating habits do not take them lightly. In his sect he probably has an “under duress” rule that allows it. Much like how Jewish people are allowed to eat pork if the only other option is starving. Look at the Sepoy Rebellion and see how much trouble it caused the Brits when both Hindu and Muslim soldiers believed their ammunition was greased with beef or pork . ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/103 "2021-06-03T22:43:33Z")
So why haven’t these coaches been charged with a hate crime yet? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/104 "2021-06-03T22:58:33Z")
Wait for it. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/105 "2021-06-04T00:14:11Z")
It’s Ohio. Remember when some high school football players raped a girl and some staff helped cover it up, including the superintendent of schools? It’s the fucking third world. > **[Steubenville High School rape case](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steubenville_High_School_rape_case)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > The Steubenville High School rape occurred in Steubenville, Ohio on the night of August 11, 2012, when a high school girl, incapacitated by alcohol, was publicly and repeatedly sexually assaulted by her peers, several of whom documented the acts on social media. The victim was transported, undressed, photographed, and sexually assaulted. She was also penetrated vaginally by other students' fingers (digital penetration), an act defined as rape und... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/106 "2021-06-04T02:30:12Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Are they all exclusively varsity coaches, though? At my high school, the head coaches of the eight-grade and “B” (junior varsity) teams were also assistant coaches on the varsity team. My old school has [1,000 students](https://www.publicschoolreview.com/palmetto-high-school-profile/29697). No way it has 12 paid football coaches. (I’ve actually asked on the town FB page, but no reply yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/107 "2021-06-04T02:56:17Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > No way it has 12 paid football coaches. Look at the picture. I don’t know if they’re paid or not (or why that matters), but there are 12 adults in the team photo. The freaking softball team has four coaches. > ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/109 "2021-06-04T03:19:03Z")
> **[Canton McKinley High football coaches ousted for punishing player who missed...](https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/06/03/canton-mckinley-high-football-coach-marcus-wattley-six-assistants-fired/7517670002/)** > > The school board approved their dismissals during a meeting Thursday night. One suspended coach will keep his job. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/110 "2021-06-04T03:25:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I await the deafening silence from the freedom of religion Republicans on this matter. I think it’ll happen. Conservative Christians have spoken up in defense of other non-Christian religion in the past. They’re smart enough to understand that any defense of religious rules against secular authorities will benefit them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/111 "2021-06-04T04:28:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Conservative Christians have spoken up in defense of other non-Christian religion in the past. In the recent past, after Trump became God’s Other Son? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/112 "2021-06-04T05:20:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In the recent past, after Trump became God’s Other Son? I said Conservative Christians. The Trump crowd is a whole nother outfit. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/113 "2021-06-04T05:31:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > Conservative Christians have spoken up in defense of other non-Christian religion in the past.   > > In the recent past, after Trump became God’s Other Son?   They’re not all total hypocrites, even if _most_ of them are. Texas was kicking around that new law that would hold women guilty of capital murder if they had an abortion. IIRC, I saw an article saying that at least one vocal anti-abortion group came out against that law because they are also against capital punishment. Imagine that! ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/114 "2021-06-04T11:41:33Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I don’t think either that it was specifically motivated by anti-semitism, I think it was motivated by toxic bullies getting off on a power trip and abusing those left in their charge. They knew very well that they were forcing him to violate his religious beliefs. The fact that they forced someone to violate the religious beliefs that they themselves think to be unnecessary does not mean that they were acting with an intent to be anti-semitic, but that was just adjacent to them acting as shitty human beings and bigots. I’m sure that if they were in a position to force a practicing Hindu to eat a hamburger, they would have done so as well, and there’s nothing anti-semitic about that. I think we’re actually in pretty much complete agreement. > [@mordecaiB](#): > > Bolding mine. This is not a technical violation, it’s a violation, period. People who follow religious instruction about eating habits do not take them lightly. In his sect he probably has an “under duress” rule that allows it. Much like how Jewish people are allowed to eat pork if the only other option is starving. Yeah, I struggled with that phrasing. I couldn’t off-hand come up with a better way to phrase it. The point I was making was that if the coaches’ intent was to force the player specifically to eat pork, it seems really odd that they would then allow him to _not_ eat pork, but only force him into what, from an _outsider’s_ perspective, might seem like a technical violation. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/115 "2021-06-04T14:17:59Z")
I think you’re right that some will, but they aren’t really representative of people identifying as Christian Conservatives anymore. It’s not about a new law or something as serious as wearing masks that concerns the modern Conservative Christian, and it is about a religious practice that is not well known and will easily become a political target. I’m not surprised this hasn’t received national coverage that I’ve seen, we may have a deafening silence from across the spectrum because this is not one of the pre-packaged political issues with a set of talking points for both sides to work from. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/116 "2021-06-04T15:37:31Z")
Football coaches decide to throw a pizza party, and are too lazy and unimaginative to think that anyone would not want pepperoni, and so order nothing but pepperoni. One team member complains that he can’t eat this pizza due to religious dietary proscriptions. Possibly asks if the coaches could order something without pork, otherwise he will have to go hungry. Coaches are unmoved by the kid’s complaint, writes him off as whining, and tells him to just “pick off the pepperoni” - unable to wrap their meager coach brains around the idea of “religious proscription”. After all, their (Christian) religion has no such issues, so what’s the problem? Bigotry from ignorance, or at least, that’s my speculation. These coaches could use some sensitivity training - at their next job. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/117 "2021-06-04T16:33:01Z")
Wow, you couldn’t even be bothered to read anything in this thread, or a single linked article? The kid was forced to eat an entire pepperoni pizza in front of the rest of the team, over his religious objections, because he skipped a “voluntary” training session. Which if nothing else means the entire coaching staff should be banned from any sort of position in a school ever again, since they have no fucking idea what the word “voluntary” means. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/118 "2021-06-04T16:44:27Z")
I have read it. I’m just speculating on the genesis. I make no claims on truth here. I’ve known these kinds of assholes all of my life, and they have the uncanny ability to take any slight and escalate it into an “us vs. them (or him)” situation. Couple that with the authority of being a coach, and bigoted assholes cannot conceive that their actions are improper. Not knowing what “voluntary” means is just more grist for the “stupid bigots” mill. Again, just idle speculation. Do with it what you will. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/119 "2021-06-04T17:24:41Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > since they have no fucking idea what the word “voluntary” means They coaches get their definition of “voluntary” from the same dictionary the cell phone companies get their definition of “unlimited”. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/120 "2021-06-04T17:48:15Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The kid was forced to eat an entire pepperoni pizza in front of the rest of the team, over his religious objections, because he skipped a “voluntary” training session. Which if nothing else means the entire coaching staff should be banned from any sort of position in a school ever again, since they have no fucking idea what the word “voluntary” means. I like to think that the pizza was served by a waitress who was currently feuding with her boss over what the “minimum” amount of flair she was expected to wear was. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507/121 "2021-06-04T19:34:36Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The school board approved their dismissals during a meeting Thursday night. One suspended coach will keep his job. At least this part worked out right. Hopefully they will not get several years wages for a severance package. Not a big fan of piling charges on people but I would like to see if a federal civil rights case would work here. Are teachers/coaches considered government employees in a case like this? A government employee violating some ones civil rights seems like a doubly-plus bad thing. What I’m trying to say is I hope they can get felony convictions on these people so they are disqualified from working with kids again. Otherwise they are just going to move to a different school just like cops move to another department or priests are moved to another parish. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-mckinley-high-school-football-coaches-of-canton-ohio/943507.md?page=7)