KY considering creating misdemeanor charge of intimidating a sports official | WCHS

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KY considering creating misdemeanor charge of intimidating a sports official

VANCEBURG, Ky (WCHS) —

Threatening a sports official could soon become a crime in Kentucky. Lawmakers are considering legislation to create the misdemeanor charge of intimidating a sports official.

The hope is this legislation will alleviate the shortage of referees for sporting events, because the future of high school athletics could be at stake.

"We're down in Kentucky about 25% to 30% of the available pool of officials," reported Julian Tackett, Commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

"We can't cover all of the games that are out there because we have a shortage of officials," said Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington.

Hale says the shortage is due to referees that don't want to deal with threats and intimidation from fans at sporting events.

Josh Hughes is the athletic director at Lewis County High School and has seen officials struggle with confrontations.

"It's getting to a point where people are just not wanting to deal with any of it, with an actual physical confrontation, those types of things are happening more often it seems," Hughes said.

Rep. Hale is sponsoring House Bill 220 which would create the misdemeanor crime of intimidating a sports official. Offenders could face up to a year in jail for threatening to injure a sports official or damage a referee's property or business interests.

"I think it's long overdue. We're getting low on officials and guys are getting out of the game because of intimidation," said Hughes.

Vanceburg Police Chief Joe Billman is also a sports official.

"Parents sometimes are crazy over their kids," Billman said.

Chief Billman said that over the course of his 25 years as a referee, he has been threatened and intimidated, but at sporting events, he has learned to tune out the fans.

"I've had fans come to the floor, and if they come to the floor, that's when they get my attention and that's when I've tossed fans," Billman said.

"I think parents are different, and I think there is this idea that someone is out to cheat you," Hughes said. "I don't know where that came from."

The House Judiciary Committee has sent the legislation to the full House for consideration.

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