Child labor raid in Kidron deserves more attention than postgame squabble
Two weeks ago, our website was nearly broken by the clicks generated by a video showing a post-game fight between the Canton McKinley Bulldogs and Massillon Washington Tigers football teams.
After Massillon handily beat Canton, the ritual of the postgame handshake devolved into a melee.
The fight marred one of the most storied sports rivalries in America, and was an embarrassment to both districts. It only served to give fodder to what some people already think about public schools, and undermined the role of sports as an instrument of discipline, sportsmanship and teamwork.
In a football-mad community such as this one, it can be easy to forget that high school players are kids, and that kids make mistakes. However, there have to be consequences because that's part of the learning process, too.
To their credit, the coaches from both teams refused to make excuses for the boys' misbehavior. Superintendents from both districts issued a joint statement condemning the fight.
What didn't get as much attention or as many clicks that same weekend was a report of misbehavior by some adults, as federal agents discovered two dozen children working illegally in a poultry plant in Kidron.
Instead of enjoying a high school football game on a Saturday afternoon, they were risking their health and safety in a processing plant.
Investigators say most of the child workers were immigrants from Guatemala — which probably helps to explain the dearth of outrage and attention compared to the football fight.
Kids at risk: Child labor violations a national scandal
Gerber's Poultry is located in Amish country, a region which has commodified the "good old days" by becoming a mecca for people who long for "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Waltons" when the truth for kids working the second shift is more like Charles Dickens.
A family member of one of the underaged workers told NBC News that the kids worked the second shift at the plant because it was after school.
We have American kids who aren't pressed to do chores at home, let alone scrub machines and factory floors after a day of school.
At Gerber's, some adult knew the law was being broken and kids were being endangered, and let it happen.
In some parts of the country, states legislatures are weakening laws designed to protect kids from working certain jobs. During the Gilded Age, no one thought twice about a child working in a mine or in a textile mill. We've all seen those historic photos of grim and dirty faces. As a result, we've become more child-centric — perhaps a little too much at times — but protecting children has become a marker for civility and progress.
It remains to be seen if anyone will accept responsibility for allowing kids to work in violation of labor laws. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that company owners and executives very rarely are arrested or charged with such crimes.
Two years ago, McKinley fired its football coach because a player was allegedly hazed. Earlier this year, Massillon's head coach came under fire due to an alleged hazing incident which took place among some unsupervised players.
What should happen to people who allow children to work in a poultry plant until 10 or 11 o'clock at night?
And why aren't we more upset about it?
Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay: Child labor raid in Kidron deserves more attention
