Thought a lot of you would be interested in this. First article is the story of the official one year after the attack, second article is after the first day of the trial.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05007/438511.stm

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05011/440446.stm

Just to add to this...working a 4-7 grade girls rec league championship on Saturday. Small gym, only about 5 rows of stands on one side of the gym (opposite table). 30 seconds left in the game, tie score. I'm running from trail to lead on a fast break on the stands side. Next thing I know, someone grabs me by my arm and spins me around. As I'm spun around, I see a mother on the floor grabbing my arm and then begins to verbally yell at me and pointing her finger. At the same time the girl on the fast break pulls up for 3 and makes it. As soon as the basket went in, I blew the whistle and immediately turned to the game manager who happened to be standing right there and ejected the lady. At that point she begins to yell and point in my face again about how a girl was hurt on the court. She finally leaves, we end the game. Game manager comes up to me after the game and apologizes..it was his wife. I didn't call the police at the time because she did leave the gym, and game manager/husband assured me an apology the next day. I still have not gotten it...now I'm debating and need advise...press charges? FYI, I'm in PA and we have a state law against this exact situation...felony up to 1 year in prison (assault of a sports official).

Do you know her name?

I don't personally, but my chapter assigner does (he spoke with game manager/husband on the phone about the situation).

After reading both articles, the most pathetic thing is the parent saying, he only pushed the official, and did it in defense of his son and wife. Be man enough to admit what you did, apologize, and take your punishment. Great lesson those parents are sending to their son.
In answer to your question, personally I'd contact them and say, "how about that appology?" If I got it, I'd be done, if not, I might make them aware of the law in the state. A grab is not good, but not like a punch, or body slam.

Not to defend the guy's actions, but he is facing prison time, so of course he isn't going to admit what he did. Sounds like they have plenty of witnesses and he'll pay for it one way or another. Sucks for the ref...the loser who body slammed him probably doesn't have enough money to gain anything by a civil suit.

Maybe not, but I'd do it anyway, if it were me. The publicity might help make people aware of the completely unacceptable view we have in our society of physical fighting. Everyone in the whole scrum could plead self-defense, somehow that's supposed to justify ruining someone's life. It just doesn't wash. There's no way for the ref to ever really achieve justice -- but there could be some hope that someone might read an article in the paper, and say, "Wow, how can we keep this from happening again?"

I'm also wondering about adequate security at the game. Why weren't the refs surrounded by guards the instant anyone came near the floor?

Please keep us posted tmp44. This guy should get a punishment as hard as they come. I only hope that Mr. Bell is able to get completely better and return to officiating--which he obviously loves! Get better!!! <img src="http://www.illinoishighschoolsports.com/ubb/graemlins/thumbsup.gif">

T Jones

I would file a complaint and at least make her sweat, even if nothing ever became of it.

Illinois passed a law a few months ago that if you mess with any sports official (little league umpire, summer league umpire--those are all covered), it is a FELONY!! It is very serious stuff now, which is good, should be like that everywhere.

tmp44, if you do not do anything about this woman and she gets away with this action, what is she going to do to the next referee that displeases her?

A point needs to be made! What point is the right one, I'm not sure. Here's a few options:
1. Press charges.
2. Your association needs to go back to the league director and have him ban this woman (his wife) from games for 1 year.
3. _______________________________.
(somebody help me with option #3)

If you do nothing with this lady and next time somebody else of different gender/race/hair color/whatever does the same or worse, and that official takes legal action, they will resort back to this situation and ask why she got away with it with no recourse.

Research stories on referees being assaulted and take those printouts with you to show them why you are acting on this.

TTFN

3. _______________________________.
(somebody help me with option #3)

3. If they do not ban her from the games, everyone needs to boycot this leauge

TRIAL UPDATE
 

Update on the trial. Defense began today (Wednesday).

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05012/440800.stm

Thanks tmp44. Keep it coming...

First, the link below describes the second day of the trial.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05013/441442.stm

Second, I wanted to provide a little insight into the incident. I live about 20 miles from the incident, but ref games for each school a couple of times a year. The schools boundaries border, and many of the students from one school know students in the other school.

Incidentally, I worked a game with Mr. Bell 3 days before the incident happened. I do not know him well, but we had worked 3 or 4 games together over the previous 3 years. He has a very mild mannered personality, and is a very good official.

I have a friend (basketball official / baseball umpire) who attended the game as a spectator. His son played for the team that started the fight on the floor. He lives very close (maybe 1 mile) to the defendant (Mr. Dukovich). My friend met the defendant 7 years ago through baseball, as their sons played on the same Little League team, and they were both coaches.

Soon after the incident last year, my friend and I were having a beer after a game. I knew he had attended the game, so I asked him. “What happened”? He said a player on his son’s team was fouled hard. The foul was called and he said it was the correct call (i.e. should not have been called intentional or flagrant). Shortly thereafter, the ball went out on the end line, his son’s teammate unprovokingly attacked Mr. Dukovich’s son. The fight was quickly broken up, and was dealt with correctly. Mr. Bell was the trail official, and had nothing to do with calling the foul, nor was he involved with breaking up the fight, but was close to where the fans were seated in the bleachers.

Mrs. Dukovich, and other fans, came on the floor. She went after Mr. Bell, probably because he was the closest official, and verbally abused Mr. Bell to the extent that game security, which were actual police officers, physically removed her from the gym. After that, Mr. Dukovich picked up Mr. Bell and slammed him.

My friend said the following: The family is not white trash. They have two sons that are attending Ivy League schools. The son that was attacked on the floor is going to attend Harvard and is an excellent baseball player. I have known Mr. Dukovich for a long time, and have never seen him get irate. But that day he lost it, what he did was wrong, and he must pay for what he did.

Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to illuminate what I know. It is sad that a high school basketball game can end up devastating two families.