Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert is setting the record straight in regard to the district's decision to fire McKinley head football coach Marcus Wattley and six other assistants.

In a video statement (see below), Talbert details the investigation into Wattley and the rest of his coaching staff, that began after the district first became aware of the pizza incident on May 24th. The next day the investigation officially launched and included review of security footage that, according to Talbert, was "extensive and clearly shows the identified coaches engaging in actions that contituted inappropriate, demeaning, and divisive behavior in a misguided attempt to instill discipline in the student-athletes."

Talbert went on to say that false information was intentionally distributed to the local media regarding the school board's actions in response to the incident in question. 

Wattley's attorney almost immediately responded to Talbert's video statement, calling it "an extremely pathetic and revealing attempt at damage control that only confirms the falsity of the allegations against coach Wattley" and others.