In Massillon, Ohio, a group of 23 high school football players from St. Louis is seeking justice with the help of renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. The players, who are from Cardinal Ritter College Prep, allege that local police unfairly pepper-sprayed them earlier this month.

The controversial incident took place on the night of Friday, October 3, following a football match between Cardinal Ritter College Prep and Massillon Washington High School. As the teams engaged in the customary post-game handshake, a disturbance led to several Cardinal Ritter players being pepper-sprayed, causing widespread confusion.

Benjamin Crump, who has gained national attention for his involvement in prominent civil rights cases including those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, expressed strong condemnation of the incident. “The footage reveals an unjustifiable and excessive use of force. Deploying chemical agents on young teenagers aged 14 to 16 is indefensible,” Crump remarked.