Fan attacks referee

[stosh]

Meramec Valley School District officials say they will take a strong stand against a New Haven man who assaulted a referee during a boys basketball game Friday night at Pacific High School.


The game was between Pacific and New Haven High School. With approximately two minutes left in the game, one referee called a technical against a New Haven coach, according to school officials.


Another referee, Joe Poliak, was standing on the sideline at the time of the call. A man came out of the crowd and hit Poliak, officials said. Poliak was not the referee who made the call.

Does this mean if he hit the official who made the foul call it would better justify the action?

The man was immediately removed from the gym and police were called, according to Superintendent Randy George.

Why is the referee mentioned by name, but the assailant is not?

Poliak declined to immediately press charges, but he still has the option of signing a complaint against the attacker, according to George.

The school district intends to press charges independently, he said.

"There is no place for this type of activity in high school sports," George said. "There is no place for this in any type of extracurricular activity."

George said he has consulted with the New Haven superintendent and with the Missouri High School Athletic Association.

"We intend to pursue this to the fullest extent available to us," George told The Missourian