Texas school district suspends 2 from school after blindsiding referee in game




MARBLE FALLS, Texas (AP) — A San Antonio school district has suspended two football players from the team and from school after one of them speared the back of a referee watching a play and the other dove into the official on the ground.

The district's athletic director Stan Laing told The Associated Press Monday that the students were suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of an investigation and due process hearing.

Video showed the referee watching the play, and his head snapping back when he is leveled from behind. The other player then dove on top of him.

The team from John Jay High School in San Antonio was playing Marble Falls High School in Marble Falls, located about 90 miles north of San Antonio, on Friday night.

The names of the players and the referee have not been released.


A Northside Independent School District spokesperson told The Associated Press that video of the incident was "extremely disturbing."

"The first thing we want is that those two kids never play football again,” said Wayne Elliott with the Austin Football Officials Association, referring to the players who were both ejected from the game.

The incident happened with about a minute left in the game. John Jay lost to rival Marble Falls 15-9.

Before the referee was hit, two Jay players were reportedly ejected on separate plays. John Jay’s coach has apologized, saying he’s never seen anything like it.