Assaulting coach back in the league

[outathm]

How would you handle this situation? A coach who was thrown out of a league for assaulting an umpire is now back in the same league coaching again.

When the assigner was asked by the assaulted umpire why this was he was told that the coach went to the board and was very apologetic about what had happened.

The coach has not made any attempt to get in touch with the umpire to apologize, and this umpire's information is posted on the leagues web site and in the leagues handbooks.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

[JEL]

Originally Posted by outathm

How would you handle this situation? A coach who was thrown out of a league for assaulting an umpire is now back in the same league coaching again.

When the assigner was asked by the assaulted umpire why this was he was told that the coach went to the board and was very apologetic about what had happened.

The coach has not made any attempt to get in touch with the umpire to apologize, and this umpire's information is posted on the leagues web site and in the leagues handbooks.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Were there any criminal charges? If a judge didn't order anything I suppose a league can do whatever they want.

If this were a league I worked I would support an official's boycott. There should at least be a formal protest from the officials association.

[NCASAUmp]

I don't know the circumstances of the assault. If it was just an inadvertent "chest bump," I'd let it go. Watch him like a hawk, but nothing else. The last thing you want is to be perceived as holding a grudge.

However, something tells me that this is not the case. Sounds to me like something serious happened, probably along the lines of cops called, kids crying, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. If that's the case, if I were the umpire involved, I would not call in that league, and I would make my reason well-known.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by outathm

How would you handle this situation? A coach who was thrown out of a league for assaulting an umpire is now back in the same league coaching again.

When the assigner was asked by the assaulted umpire why this was he was told that the coach went to the board and was very apologetic about what had happened.

The coach has not made any attempt to get in touch with the umpire to apologize, and this umpire's information is posted on the leagues web site and in the leagues handbooks.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

If there are outstanding criminal charges, everyone in your association needs to walk off any game where he is on the field. The league can address that decision with the other teams, since they made the decision to let him back before he was adjudicated.

Assuming there are no outstanding criminal charges, the assignor or your association president needs to be very clear to the league, as well as direct to ALL your association umpires. Umpires need to do their job; professionally, and without baiting that coach. That said, ZERO TOLERANCE!!

If the assaulted umpire want to recuse himself, his call. Personally, I would be on his games and in his face until he is man enough to apologize. And the zero tolerance would continue until he does publicly apologize.

But, that's just me.

Sounds like this league needs to adopt the policy we have for the city leagues here in Omaha (and it's starting to gain popularity in the area) which is ANY assault on an umpire leads to lifetime ban from playing not only in the city leagues, but a report to ASA so the ban extends to any ASA-sanctioned event, esstentially putting the fool out of the sport because the USSSA and other alphabet soupers will get wind of it, and the fool would be pretty much black-balled. In the seven years since a new group took over operating the city leagues in Omaha, noone has been banned yet that I know of, because we do take this zero tolerance seriously. If you're interested, check out the "League Playing Rules" link on Welcome to Metro Omaha Softball.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

Sounds like this league needs to adopt the policy we have for the city leagues here in Omaha (and it's starting to gain popularity in the area) which is ANY assault on an umpire leads to lifetime ban from playing not only in the city leagues, but a report to ASA so the ban extends to any ASA-sanctioned event, esstentially putting the fool out of the sport because the USSSA and other alphabet soupers will get wind of it, and the fool would be pretty much black-balled. In the seven years since a new group took over operating the city leagues in Omaha, noone has been banned yet that I know of, because we do take this zero tolerance seriously. If you're interested, check out the "League Playing Rules" link on Welcome to Metro Omaha Softball.

Well, that isn't quite the way it works.

ASA requires a hearing and I believe there is an appeal process in place. Also, depending on the area and those involved, some other organizations couldn't care less what ASA does.

[outathm]

This is how the assault went down. I should have included this in the original post:

Umpire had forfeited the game due to the coach's team only having 7 players. While the umpire was on the phone in the parking lot talking to the assigner, partner standing with him' the coach came out to the cars and was yelling at the umpire. The umpire told the assigner that he thought it would be a good idea for the assigner to come out to the park. When the assigner asked why the umpire held the phone out so that the coach's yelling could be heard clearly.

The coach then slapped the phone out of the umpire's hand.

At this point the umpire's eye's 'went blank' according to the partner and the umpire walked away.

As a further point of reference, the partner in question was a Jr. umpire and the umpire with the phone is a former Green Beret. I can only imagine what would have happened if the umpire had not regained composure and walked away when he did.

That evening the Board of the league met and took this coach's team from him and broke the team up into the other teams so that the girls could continue to play.

At the start of the Spring season the coach in question went to the Board and apologized for his actions. No apology has been received by the umpire.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Well, that isn't quite the way it works.

ASA requires a hearing and I believe there is an appeal process in place. Also, depending on the area and those involved, some other organizations couldn't care less what ASA does.

True, but word does get around in our area. I know one person was asked to stop playing ball in one of the cities here, because he was quite verbally abusive of not only umpires but towards opponents and some of his own teammates (he was the team manager). Once he started losing some of his own players, and word got around to the softball coordinators of his attitude, he found it almost impossible to hook up with a team just to play for fun. Even some folks who played coed wreck ball didn't want him around. So, word does get around.

One city here does use USSSA as its league sanction, but it's clear in their rules if a person has been banned by ANY softball organization, they can't play in that city. So if Omaha bans someone (and it's ASA), it applies across the river as well. How they monitor it, I wouldn't know because I don't think we've had anyone who's been banned.

And usually, ASA will uphold a ban from a local league if it went through channels, but like I said, we haven't had to ban anyone so I wouldn't know if any appeals were successful or not.

Originally Posted by outathm

This is how the assault went down. I should have included this in the original post:

Umpire had forfeited the game due to the coach's team only having 7 players. While the umpire was on the phone in the parking lot talking to the assigner, partner standing with him' the coach came out to the cars and was yelling at the umpire. The umpire told the assigner that he thought it would be a good idea for the assigner to come out to the park. When the assigner asked why the umpire held the phone out so that the coach's yelling could be heard clearly.

The coach then slapped the phone out of the umpire's hand.

At this point the umpire's eye's 'went blank' according to the partner and the umpire walked away.

As a further point of reference, the partner in question was a Jr. umpire and the umpire with the phone is a former Green Beret. I can only imagine what would have happened if the umpire had not regained composure and walked away when he did.

That evening the Board of the league met and took this coach's team from him and broke the team up into the other teams so that the girls could continue to play.

At the start of the Spring season the coach in question went to the Board and apologized for his actions. No apology has been received by the umpire.

What state are you in? Or more importantly, are you in a state that has a law on the books regarding assaulting sports officials? If so, then the board are a bunch of pantsies for letting this fool back into coaching!

[outathm]

I have been on the road, will return home on tuesday. I have been working the phone lines with the umpires that are in Law Enforcement. Assault (which is what I have described here), of a person whom you know is a sports official is a class 4 felony. I have been told by one official that the assaulted person names the punishment, so to speak. If the official wants jail time the judge will give it. No matter what, the assaulter will have to check 'that box' on every job application he fills out.

Welsh is right though, the 'board' is an assigner with no contract. He has also bowed to the pressure from the league not to use an umpire because he 'calls too many rules' and is too serious. BTW, this is a Div I umpire that works a rec league so that he can give back to the people that gave him his start.

[bkbjones]

Was this ASA?
If it is, sounds to me like someone somewhere is turning a blind eye to the ASA Code. It's all very spelled out as to what must happen and, if any, punishment involved.
If it's ASA, it doesn't go to a one-person board/assignor. The Code is online and is very explicit about what has to happen.
As for the gutless, spineless assignor...

[greymule]

I have never been physically assaulted as an umpire, but I have been threatened several times and am all for prosecuting violence against officials. (The threats resulted in routine ejection suspensions, but nothing more.) During a basketball riot years ago, a referee friend of mine was attacked from behind (by a spectator) and knocked unconscious. He suffered some real trauma and had a civil case going for years, but I don't know how it turned out.

But some guy holds out a cell phone, and another guy slaps it out of his hand? I know the courts are unpredictable, but an assault conviction and jail time on that are unlikely. I doubt that you could even persuade a witnessing cop to make an arrest.

At a preseason league meeting in Trenton, New Jersey, a SP manager cold-cocked the recreation director after the director announced that parking of cars would not be permitted behind the snack bar. This occurred in county offices. No arrest, no charges, even though the assailant was a convicted felon. Punishment? Banishment from the park for three years, so the manager had to watch games from his lawn chair in the parking lot. (I guess the parking lot wasn't considered part of the park.)

One guy I knew was banned for five years for slugging an umpire during a game. But no actual charges. In one riot in the 1970s, a guy who hit an ump was sent back to jail for violating his probation, but not for hitting the ump. The attack on the umpire revealed that he had been out after 9 o'clock.

The guy who punched the recreation director used to brag to me that he had a $100,000 infield: First base, $25,000 bail; shortstop, $15,000 bail, etc.

Over the past several decades, I've seen some disgraceful violence toward softball officials, but I can't remember anything ever ending up in court. But of course I lived in New Jersey, so I admit that my experience is not particularly relevant for the rest of the country.

I thought I had escaped this by moving to Alabama, but the New Jersey courts recently caught up with me and asked for a deposition about a 2007 attack by one SP player on his teammate.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by greymule

...I thought I had escaped this by moving to Alabama, but the New Jersey courts recently caught up with me and asked for a deposition about a 2007 attack by one SP player on his teammate.

So, assaulting an official the let slide, but assaulting a teammate, that they prosecute?

[IRISHMAFIA]

To begin, I abhor "specialty" laws. An assault on a woman or child should not be considered any more contemptible than that of a man. An assault on an authority figure should not be handled any different than an attack of a common citizen. An assault on a sports official shouldn't be any different than someone who is attacked by a neighbor for playing their music too loud.

The problem is that those who tout themselves as the defenders of justice carry a varied set of values based upon their individual moral and social perceptions and not the equality we are all supposed to be blindly applied.

The only reason there are specialty laws for sports officials is because you have lawyers and judges who ignore the constitution, the Bill of Rights and all associated laws of protection because someone has sold them on the belief that a sporting event is a high-stress, high-tension exercise for the participants and fans and a valid excuse to lose control of oneself. BULL$HIT! If that were a fact, we should all be allowed to take a bat to a fielder's head when they make an error that takes the game into extra innings.

Of course, this is an absurd statement and obviously would not be considered an acceptable excuse because we are the arbiters who are supposed to have the "tough skin" and deaf ears. Well, BULL$HIT, again.

But let a student bring cakes and cupcakes to school accompanied with a cake knife.....put the school into lock down, take the student into custody and call out the National Guard!

This country's justice system is just way out of control!

[greymule]

So, assaulting an official they let slide, but assaulting a teammate, that they prosecute?

Only because the victim pressed charges. I don't know whether or not there was an actual conviction, but the judge did ban the assailant from any park where that league was playing a game. Although the prosecutor did contact me for my version of the incident, this recent deposition was for a civil suit that the victim has filed. Apparently the assailant continues to harass his former teammate, insults him, threatens to get him, etc.

A few years ago, a gang of Crips executed a coordinated invasion of a Trenton slow-pitch game with the intent to attack a particular player. There was quite a fight, and though the players actually got the best of it, several suffered minor injuries. The police arrived (eventually) but, because they hadn't "actually witnessed" the attack, refused to make any arrests, even though several guys had obvious injuries. In fact, with nobody dead, the authorities pursued the matter no further except that they put two cops in the park the next night. (Lesson: If you ever see an inner-city youth beating a girl bloody, ignore it.)

I will add my voice to those opposed to creating special classes of victims, especially based on their supposed historical "victimhood." Whatever happened to equal protection of the laws? Still, I would allow that people performing official (or officials') duties might constitute a special case.

A few years ago, my son's high school was put on "lockdown" and a SWAT unit dispatched because somebody found in the trash can outside the building . . . hold on, you're not going to believe this . . . a cardboard box that had once contained, according the label, a spring-loaded BB pistol. I mean, that thing will put a hole in a piece of paper at five yards! They eventually let the kids go home, but I'll tell you, it was weeks before I dared venture outside.