The story of the two Texas high-school football players who targeted and hit a defenseless referee has only just begun, as numerous governing bodies (and the police) are investigating the incident, and some sordid rumors about it have leaked to the public. The students in question attend John Jay High School in San Antonio of the Northside Independent School district, and Superintendent Brian T. Woods announced two disturbing accusations.
First, the students who hit the ref, Victor Rojas and Mike Moreno, claim that the official used racial slurs against them earlier in the game. Additionally, Woods says that John Jay assistant coach Mack Breed suggested the idea of retaliation to the players. Rojas and Moreno have been suspended indefinitely, and Breed has been placed on leave.
In response to the allegations of racial slurs, the referee in question, Robert Watts, released a statement:
“I like to keep my officiating quiet; unfortunately this will be big news.”
He then went on to say, “Libel and slander have already been committed against me. I will be contacting the appropriate people soon and any statement from me will come at a later date.”
Regarding the racial-slur allegations, Watts’ lawyer added, “He’s not a happy camper about being falsely accused.” It was only this past Friday that the incident happened, but the fallout is fully under way, with details being released quickly. The NISD and the University Interscholastic League (which oversees public high-school athletics) are both conducting investigations concurrent with the police investigation into possible assault, and with that many cooks in the kitchen, more public intrigue is bound to happen.
(Via ESPN and TexasHSFootball.com)
