January 18, 2022
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Proposed Tennessee law would make intentional assault of a sports official a felony - WZTV

FILE — In this photo taken March 8, 2019, a referee prepares to start a play using a Precision Time device during the first half of an Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament basketball game in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
FILE — In this photo taken March 8, 2019, a referee prepares to start a play using a Precision Time device during the first half of an Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament basketball game in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Tennessee lawmaker has proposed legislation making contact or injury with a sports official a crime.

The bill comes just weeks after a fellow Tennessee House Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison was ejected from a high school basketball game for trying to pull down an official's pants. Rep. Faison apologized for his actions, saying he had "acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref. I was wanting him to fight me."

A former high school basketball official said he believes the treatment of officials is an epidemic and the conduct’s mainly an issue with parents. “Officials talk about it. That’s why some officials quit. The abuse is pretty consistent,” says Brad Batt, a former basketball official.

Now, a bill by Rep. Brandon Ogles (R-Franklin-D61) seeks to make assaulting an official a crime under state law. HB1761 states an assault on a sports official would be considered "Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to a sports official while the official is officiating a sporting event, Intentionally or knowingly causes a sports official, while the official is officiating a sporting event, to reasonably fear imminent bodily injury; or (3) Intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with a sports official while the official is officiating a sporting event and a reasonable person would regard the contact as extremely offensive or provocative."

Assault against an official would be a Class E felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and a $3,000 fine. If contact with an official is considered to be extremely or offensive -the third description under the bill, then it would become a Class A misdemeanor.

The bill would apply to any official who is a member of a local, state, regional, or national organization. If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2022.



source: https://fox17.com/news/local/proposed-tennessee-law-would-make-intentional-assault-of-a-sports-official-a-felony-nashville-football-basketball-baseball-ncaa-nfl-tssaa

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