Football Players Attack Referee: Students Say Ref Made Racial Slurs During Game, Coach Encouraged Hit

Two John Jay High School football players were suspended after they brutally hit a referee during a game. One player tackled the ref from behind while the other player jumped on top of him. Now, the two players are saying they had a reason for attacking the referee and it has to do with racism. The players say the ref made “racial slurs” throughout the game, and are claiming even the assistant coach encouraged the hit after a series of bad calls.

The Blaze reports that John Jay High School has placed their assistant football coach on paid administrative leave after it was suggested that he encouraged the players to take out the ref for a series of bad calls. Northside Independent School District Superintendent Brian T. Woods made the announcement of the coach’s leave during a new conference, which covered the investigation into the attack of the referee. In addition to the news that the assistant coach may have encouraged the tackling of the referee during the game, it was also disclosed that the two suspended players claim the referee used “racial slurs” during the game prior to the attack.

The school district claims that during the investigation of the incident that the students were “feeling lots of frustration by what they perceived to be missed or wrong calls by the refs” and that they commented on “racial slurs” made by the referee during the game. The school has promised to thoroughly investigate the case, and are treating it as an assault on a school official.

According to ESPN, the assistant coach, 29-year-old Mack Breed, was placed on administrative leave after the students responsible for hitting the referee allege he encouraged the attack. The students claim Breed said, “that guy needs to pay for cheating us.” Though the investigation is ongoing, the school has noted that the students and alleged coach behavior do not reflect the school as a whole. They say this is a “teachable” moment that “two wrongs” don’t make a right.

“The alleged comments by the coach are in no way a reflection of the John Jay coaching staff whatsoever. If that did happen, he let the emotions get the best of him. We’re obligated to use this as a teachable moment … As educators, we’ve got to take this opportunity to teach our young people two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Meanwhile, police are investigating possible misdemeanor assault charges against the students for the referee attack.

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