Suit was filed yesterday in an Ohio federal district court by a Hebrew-Israelite high school football team member who was told to eat a pepperoni pizza as discipline for missing a mandatory weight class. When the student objected that eating pork was a violation of his religious beliefs, he was allowed to remove the pepperoni, but still was forced to eat the pizza with pork residue on it. The complaint (full text) in K.W. (Junior) v. Canton City School District, (ND OH, filed 12/29/2021) alleges 1st and 14th Amendment, as well as other, claims saying in part:
All Defendants were fully aware of Junior’s religious beliefs; however, Defendants established practices and implemented actions that were antisemitic and/or in direct violation of Plaintiffs’sincere religious beliefs. therefore violating 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs demand compensatory damages of $3,000,000.00 and punitive damages of $1,000,000.00.... [as well as] injunctive relief....
Other dollar amounts are sought for other causes of action set out in the complaint. WKYC News reports on the lawsuit.
