Brooklyn football coach resigns, district apologizes after play called ‘Nazi’ used in Beachwood game

BROOKLYN, Ohio (WOIO) - Brooklyn City Schools said Head Football Coach Tim McFarland resigned Monday in response to his team using a football play with an anti-Semitic name.

The incident happened Friday night at the Beachwood v. Brooklyn High School football game.

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Beachwood Schools said Brooklyn’s coaches were calling a defensive play which they named “Nazi.” It was also alleged that Brooklyn players used racial slurs during the game.

“We commend the leadership of Beachwood’s schools, including Head Coach Scott Fischer and Athletic Director Ryan Peters, for taking prompt action to protect our students... Most importantly, we commend Beachwood’s football team, which took the right action by calling out this behavior while continuing to hold themselves to high standards of conduct,” read a statement released by Beachwood City officials.

Brooklyn City Schools Superintendent Theodore Caleris confirmed McFarland’s resignation in a letter shared with school families, which can be read in full below:

“The Brooklyn City Schools accepted the resignation of Head Football Coach Tim McFarland on Monday morning, effective immediately, in light of an incident where the coaching staff used a designated play-call referencing the word “Nazi” at this past Friday night’s football game with Beachwood High School. Coach McFarland expresses his deepest regret about the matter, and offers his sincerest apologies to the Beachwood and Brooklyn School Communities. The Brooklyn City Schools echoes this regret, and apology as well. As stated, this hurtful and harmful speech will not be tolerated, in any form, by Brooklyn City Schools leadership. While to the district’s knowledge the language was not directed to any single individual, the Brooklyn City Schools acknowledges that using such offensive language in the first place was utterly and absolutely wrong.

Notwithstanding what has happened, the Brooklyn City Schools family is choosing to learn from this matter, and hopefully, to grow as a result. Already, the Brooklyn City Schools has been contacted by the Anti-Defamation League of Ohio, who among others, we will hope to use as a resource for our school district going forward to promote understanding and tolerance.”