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Officials, leagues and civil‑liberties groups clash over making assault on sports officials a felony
Summary
Rep. Nore's bill would make assaults on sports officials a felony; supporters including long‑time officials and the Interscholastic League said stronger penalties are needed to reverse a national shortage of referees, while the ACLU warned about felonyization and prosecutorial overreach.
House Bill 7,549, presented by Rep. Nore, would classify assaults on sports officials that occur during their official duties as a felony offense, aiming to deter the escalating harassment and physical attacks that witnesses said are causing a steep decline in available officials.
Long‑time official Bob Scarry recounted being pushed and struck at a fifth‑grade basketball game and said the criminal outcome was an unsatisfactory slap‑on‑the‑wrist plea. "She came from behind out to…
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