San Antonio Players Were Ordered To Hit Referee Robert Watts


It has emerged that the two San Antonio players who were suspended for intentionally hitting referee Robert Watts were “directed” to do so by an assistant coach at John Jay school. The assistant coach, Mack Breed, admitted that he gave the instruction in anger at Watts’ “racial comments and calls.” The two players, 15-year-old sophomore Victor Rojas and 17-year-old senior Michael Moreno, blindsided Watts during a game against Marble Falls, Texas on September 4. The pair subsequently faced Northside Independent School District disciplinary hearings where they were suspended. This Youtube video of the incident has since received over 11 million views.

Due to the fact that both players are minors, San Antonio officials had promised that any information relating to the ensuing investigation into the Watts tackle would be investigated. Through this process it has been revealed that Robert Watts allegedly used racist language, prompting Mack Breed to order the hit. ESPN’s Outside the Lines obtained a copy of a letter written by John Jay School Principal Robert Harris. In the letter, Harris describes Breed’s accusation that Watts had used the N- word twice during the game, once after the tackle. Watts allegedly also used racially charge language offensive to Hispanics.

“I later met with Coach Breed at John Jay High School… in my office in the presence of Coach Gutierrez. Coach Breed told me that he directed the students to make the referee pay for his racial comments and calls. He wanted to take full responsibility for his actions. Mr Breed at one point during our conversation stated that he should have handled the referee himself.”

According to ESPN, an unnamed sideline source corroborated Breed’s testimony against Watts. Further accusations of racism have emerged from Rojas and Moreno, who told Good Morning America that Watts had been heard to use the N- word on a previous occasion, as well as telling an Hispanic student to “speak English, this is America.”

Following the incident, Robert Watts had indicated that he was considering pressing charges against Moreno and Rojas, and had apparently retained counsel for the purpose. Following these recent revelations, Robert Watts is now refusing to comment, but his lawyers have indicated that he vehemently denies ever using racist language.

In spite of this new information, Moreno and Rojas have still had to front final disciplinary hearings today. If they are found guilty of breaking the school’s code of conduct by tackling Watts, they may face “suspension, assignment to alternative school or expulsion.”

In light of this new information, do you think Rojas and Moreno should be punished at all?

[Picture via Getty Images/Streeter Lecka]

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