Teen’s suit says coaches made him eat pizza despite religion

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school football player who says coaches forced him to eat a pizza covered with pepperoni grease in violation of his religious beliefs is suing his former district and ousted coaches. The athlete says in the federal civil rights suit filed this week that Canton coaches ordered the athlete to eat the pizza as punishment for missing an offseason workout despite being told he doesn’t eat pork or pork residue as a member of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith. The coaches say that he chose to remove pepperoni and eat the pizza rather than an alternative food and that they weren’t aware it violated his religious beliefs.