Student From Fan Section Taunts Opposing Player

[RefsNCoaches]

Originally Posted by SC Official

That's fine that you feel that way, but at the end of the day the "seizure" gesture itself is not an officiating issue. I don't get paid enough to do research and make inferences about what offensive gestures the students might do. If a coach confronts me and says "That student was making fun of my player with epilepsy," I might talk to game admin and leave it to them.

I would address the student deliberately coming down from the bleachers behind the backboard where he isn't allowed to be by rule, but as for the gesture, that's beyond the scope of my responsibility unless he does something that's universally known to be offensive regardless of whom it's directed at (like flipping the bird).

Your 2nd statement is what I am looking for as far as conversation between us officials. Do we address his presence there, not what he's doing.

My opinion mirrors what a lot of people around here feel about the gesture ...it seems per-meditated but agree, that's not part of our call as officials. I'm wanting to know if officials would address him being in that area.

It's a good subject to discuss as I think there are many teaching lessons here for the fan, player, officials and games site admins.

This is really a non-issue. Are HS kids sometimes really mean? Absolutely. Do I think this kid was imitating a seizure? Prob not, his flopping does look like a fish as opposed to just vibrating like a seizure would be. Is this kind of distraction allowable at HS games? Sure why not. They do this at the college level and that’s where this fan section got the idea for creating a distraction. And he’s not directly under the basket as far as I can tell from the video. If they are chanting unsporting stuff of shining lights in the eyes or giving obscene gestures then deal with that. This distracting isn’t a big deal IMO.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I am going to wax philosophical in this post.

For those that do not know, I have been involved in Special Olympics Basketball for almost thirty years. I find the behavior of this student absolutely abhorrent. I cannot begin to describe what I would do to either Mark, Jr., or Andy would have even thought of acting as this student did they would have been a world of hurt.

I just do not know what goes through minds of some people.

That's all.

MTD, Sr.