Ohio high school football coach resigns over 'Nazi' play call
An Ohio high school football coach has resigned after backlash to his team using the word "Nazi" in its play calls in a recent game.
WJW Fox-8 in Ohio reported that Brooklyn High School (Ohio) coach Tim McFarland put in his notice Monday morning, three days after acknowledging unacceptable behavior that has since been condemned by Beachwood officials, the district superintendent, as well as Beachwood's mayor and city council.
Referees were notified at halftime of a 35-3 Brooklyn win at Beachwood (Ohio) that the team repeatedly used the word "Nazi" in a play call, Beachwood Schools Superintendent Robert Hardis said in a letter to the school community.
The language in the play call has been condemned as "racist and antisemitic." Beachwood, which has a population of roughly 14,000, is roughly 90 percent Jewish, according to a 2011 study by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
According to the letter, published by WKYC-3 News in Ohio, Brooklyn coaches confirmed his team's use of the word and vowed to change the call in the second half after Beachwood threatened to pull its players off the field if the behavior continued.
In an email to families after the game, Beachwood athletic director Ryan Peters alleged that while the play call was not heard in the second half, several Brooklyn players used racial slurs.
“Offensive language from the Brooklyn coaches and players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Peters said in the email, published by Cleveland Jewish News. "We are reaching out to the Brooklyn Schools administration to address the actions of their coaches and their players."
Beachwood's mayor also condemned the "racist and antisemitic language and commended Fischer and Beachwood athletic director Ryan Peters for taking "prompt action to protect our students," WKYC-3 News in Ohio reports.
"Brooklyn's behavior violates the norms and expectations of conduct that should be taught to every student," Mayor Justin Berns said.
Brooklyn City School District Superintendent gave the following statement to WKYC 3-News in response:
"On behalf of everyone in the Brooklyn City Schools family, we offer our sincerest apologies to the members of the Beachwood football family and school community for the hurtful, insensitive, and entirely inappropriate choice of language used during the first half of this past Friday night’s football game. Our football coaching staff expressed their regret to the Beachwood football family immediately during the contest, and took corrective measures in the second half, in finishing the contest. While to the knowledge of the Brooklyn City Schools, this language was not directed to any single individual, the choice in using it at all, was utterly and absolutely wrong. Brooklyn City Schools officials are looking more closely into this matter in order to determine what steps, if any, will be emerge as a result of this incident. The isolated incident does not represent the Brooklyn schools family on the whole, in our efforts to uphold tradition and pride of our diverse school community."
The antisemitic incident isn't the first of its kind in Ohio. In May 2022, the Mentor Lake Catholic lacrosse coach resigned after a player had a swastika drawn on his leg in a playoff game against Pepper Pike Orange.
Last May, an Elyria Catholic lacrosse player was accused of using antisemitic slurs against the same school, WOIO-19 News in Cleveland reported.
Brooklyn (2-4) faces Independence (0-6) on Friday. Beachwood (0-6) plays Trinity (1-5) on the road.
-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
