Terrible Incident in Texas

[TexDoc]

If this happened in a classroom or a cafeteria or anywhere on schools grounds to a coach, administrator, janitor or anyone associated and working for the school, those kids would have been arrested that day!  They would have been expelled from school and would never be allowed back.

WHY would this be any different?

Coaches MUST stop being the kid's friends and trying to defend them!  The kids are learning nothing from this.  This is the same attitude parents take when their kids get in trouble in school now.  The parents defend their kids regards of how bad they have acted.  I'm my day, your parents came and picked you up, took you home, and beat your rear!

[CenTexTM]

Go figure

Jay assistant coach recants statement that he ordered players to hit ref


From the news article:

Breed could be suspended for a maximum of three years if the State Committee Executive rules that he influenced the players to target the official. Breed will be prohibited from coaching at a UIL school until he goes before the State Executive Committee.

Is this right?  If a coach ordered a player to target an official, his maximum punishment is 3 years suspension?

[ETXZebra]

Is there any way to get the transcript from todays UIL hearing?  I couldn't watch on my work PC.

[DallasLJ]

Is this right?  If a coach ordered a player to target an official, his maximum punishment is 3 years suspension?

  Even assuming its true -- who hires the guy?  Probably time for a career change.

[Curious]

I'm impressed that almost 50% of the respondents will either quit working games in the region or a specific organization; or they will quit officiating altogether.  While I don't know the percentage of voters to available officials in the area, I applaud those of you who express the willingness to stand up to the ineffective, gutless autocrats running High School football in (at least this area of) Texas.

[TxSkyBolt]

I'd love for the 13 to identify themselves and follow through, but neither is gonna happen....

[TexDoc]

I'd love for the 13 to identify themselves and follow through, but neither is gonna happen....

I very seriously doubt they are SA officials.  My dad coached in NISD for 15 years and my mom worked in NISD from 1962 to 1991 as an administrator.  I have no plans on scratching all of NISD. 

[Coby]

If this happened in a classroom or a cafeteria or anywhere on schools grounds to a coach, administrator, janitor or anyone associated and working for the school, those kids would have been arrested that day!  They would have been expelled from school and would never be allowed back.

WHY would this be any different?

Coaches MUST stop being the kid's friends and trying to defend them!  The kids are learning nothing from this.  This is the same attitude parents take when their kids get in trouble in school now.  The parents defend their kids regards of how bad they have acted.  I'm my day, your parents came and picked you up, took you home, and beat your rear!

Doc-- I regret to inform you that if a student assaults a teacher, custodian, or librarian, a 60-90 day alternative education placement is what would happen to the child.  I wish that was not the case but I can not fault NISD for the punishment so far.

The reason the school districts give is that the students in question will perform better on their state testing in their home school then an alternative placement.  Unless you bring a gun or drugs into your school you probably are not getting arrested.

[TexDoc]

Doc-- I regret to inform you that if a student assaults a teacher, custodian, or librarian, a 60-90 day alternative education placement is what would happen to the child.  I wish that was not the case but I can not fault NISD for the punishment so far.

The reason the school districts give is that the students in question will perform better on their state testing in their home school then an alternative placement.  Unless you bring a gun or drugs into your school you probably are not getting arrested.

Sad.

[BankerRef]

“Now that I have seen the video and see how they hit the referee, I can no longer take the blame for the incident,” Breed wrote. “I never told these players to hurt or injure anyone in that football game. I only made my earlier statement to try and save the boys from being kicked off the team. I wanted more time to teach them discipline and character they need.

Interesting that included in his defense for lying is that he wanted more time to teach them discipline and CHARACTER.  Made me laugh.

[TXMike]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/high_school/high_school_football/article/Jay-assistant-resigns-amid-UIL-ban-6527209.php

Includes the written statement from coach's attorney.

[VALJ]

Some SERIOUS race card playing in that statement.

[TXMike]

http://www.ksat.com/news/sports-psychologist-jay-hs-coaches-players-need-to-be-taught-a-lesson

Interesting. Includes summary of past events and punishments

[copedaddy]

Doc, in the past 5 years of teaching, I have witnessed several "assaults" at school, and every time the students involved were carted away in cuffs. In the original statement from the ISD involved, they called this an attack on a "school official". But the punishment handed down is about in line with what I have seen over the years. I still feel that the AD and head coach have to shoulder much of the blame, they are responsible for the actions of their coaches and players. My 2 cents

[ETXZebra]

Mike, I was told you were there for the hearing.  I realize you probably have been asked not to talk about the case, but is there a timeline when TASO will respond?  Maybe not a public statement, but at least a statement to the membership.  It's frustrating for this to have happened and our organization is not keeping us informed.  We're only getting what is published in the news media and what we pick up here.

[DallasLJ]

Mike, I was told you were there for the hearing.  I realize you probably have been asked not to talk about the case, but is there a timeline when TASO will respond?  Maybe not a public statement, but at least a statement to the membership.  It's frustrating for this to have happened and our organization is not keeping us informed.  We're only getting what is published in the news media and what we pick up here.

  I understand everyone wanting to be "updated" or hear what TASO has to say about this, but as an attorney, everyone needs to remember that this is still a legal matter.  It is not appropriate for TASO to be making comments.  Defendants are under no restriction to try and get their story out -- but prosecutors rarely do.  Let the Marble Falls DA have the next say -- anything TASO says at this point can merely get in the way of the DAs prosecution of the case. I mean, really, what can TASO say -- "we disagree with the actions of the coaches and players" -- well of course.  "We are going to refuse to work games unless sanctions are imposed" -- again, not appropriate at this point.  TASO should continue to "hold its fire" in public until the DA, NISD and the UIL have made final decisions.  You also don't see Watts making comments -- all you hear are comments from his attorney denying allegations made by the players.  That should be enough at this time.

[HLinNC]

http://usatodayhss.com/2015/uil-hearing-racial-slurs-john-jay-referee-attack

Committee member Gil Garza said he was disturbed that the game official shrugged off the allegations when presented with them.

TASO said the situation was dealt with on a stoppage of play or Jay could have called timeout and brought the referee over to the sideline.

“I don’t know what you can do in the middle of a game,” Fitch said.

OMG smh

"Coach, he called me a $%#@&^%$#"
"Mr. Official, he called my player a $%#@&^%$#"
"Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet"  "Anybody hear them call him a $%#@&^%$#"?"
"Quick, let's call a committee meeting"

[Welpe]

HL it was infuriating to hear it live, I can't imagine what it was like to hear in person.

He basically wanted to know why the game wasn't stopped and the allegations weren't dealt with right then and there. Assuming that the crew was even made aware of them in the first place. I thought Mike Fitch did a great job of addressing it as best as he could but you could tell he was frustrated with not only the lack of basic understanding but the unwillingness of the committee members to actually hear what was being said to them by the experts in officiating.

[mobetta285]

Can you imagine how this would have proceeded if TASO had not filed a lawsuit to stop UIL from taking over officiating? Without any advocate in our corner this would have already been white-washed and put away.

[DallasLJ]

Can you imagine how this would have proceeded if TASO had not filed a lawsuit to stop UIL from taking over officiating? Without any advocate in our corner this would have already been white-washed and put away.

  Agreed.  Watts may have been banned for life by the UIL based on allegations alone -- regardless of merit.  We need to stay separate.

[TxSkyBolt]

Mike Fitch testimony transcript

[attachment deleted by admin]

[TXMike]

http://usatodayhss.com/2015/john-jay-robert-watts-uil-hearing-official-hit

Includes a photo I suspect the kids and their backers are not going to like seeing of the U

[TxJim]

Statement of the umpire is released:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/hssports/2015/09/official-attacked-at-jay-game-releases-police-statement/

[TXMike]

Coach has been suspended for the year with a recommendation he contact the official's association and sign up to be an official while he is out of coaching.   We report...you decide

[VALJ]

Coach has been suspended for the year with a recommendation he contact the official's association and sign up to be an official while he is out of coaching.   We report...you decide

Make him an umpire.