Parent body-slams ref at high school basketball game

[KansDem]

Although this qualifies as "Late Breaking News," I thought I'd post it here since there are so many late-breaking stories lately of national/international importance. However, that is not to say this story is "fluff." Rather, it represents a sad commentary on civility, or the lack of it, in America today.

For the "Civility ended with Democracy files:"

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A parent body-slammed a high school referee after he ordered the man's wife out of the gym for allegedly yelling obscenities during a basketball game.

The referee, Ronald Bell, 57, was treated at a hospital for a concussion and released after the attack Friday night.

Peter J. Dukovich, 47, was charged with simple assault, assault on a sports official and disorderly conduct. His wife, RaeLynn, who claimed the ref was making bad calls, was cited for disorderly conduct.

After Bell asked security to escort the woman out of the gym, "her husband came down onto the court, picked up the official, threw him on the ground with his back striking first and then his head hit the floor," West Deer Township police Chief Jon Lape said.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/02/10/referee.assault.ap/index.html

This must have happened before for the local ordinances to have an "assault on a sports official" law on the books.

Sad...:-(