OLYMPIA, Wash. – New legislation could bring stiffer penalties to people who attack referees or other officials at school sporting events, with supporters saying the bill provides sorely needed protections to address a larger issue.
Under current state law, it is a gross misdemeanor for anyone to “interfere by force or violence” with a school employee or student “in the peaceful discharge of his or her duties or studies.”
If passed, House Bill 1085 would expand those protections to public or private school referees and other officials covering extracurricular activities. The bill would also increase the penalty up to a maximum $1,000 fine and/or 364 days in jail. Adults and students who use violence could also be banned from school grounds for their actions.
Public schools would also be required to post signs around gymnasiums, auditoriums and other athletic fields.
Backed by a bipartisan coalition, State Representative Suzanne Schmidt (R-Spokane Valley) said she sponsored the bill because officials are increasingly being attacked when they are playing an important role in promoting sportsmanship, often for free.
“Their total focus is on that game and what they’re watching and what they’re doing,” Schmidt said. “So, they’re very vulnerable.”
The representative said she was moved to push for more protections by a friend who was forced out of refereeing after being attacked.
“I was a referee in 1996 in Colville, Washington that was headbutted by a high school wrestler and knocked unconscious,” retired referee Bob West said at a hearing for similar legislation in January 2024. “I quit breathing, I was unconscious for about five minutes and have undergone four neck surgeries as a result of that assault.”
In a statement, the Washington Officials Association says it is backing the bill as abuse toward referees from spectators, coaches and players has “has escalated dramatically” – driving a decline in youth sports officiating. The group said both penalties and awareness are crucial to keep sports as safe environments where students can grow.
Schmidt said work will be done to make sure officials of activities independent of schools are also included in the protections. She previously pushed for more referee safeguards last session, but said the bill failed after concerns about stiffer penalties and numerous changes.
Schmidt hopes things will be different this time around.
“I want to have people held accountable for this behavior, for aggressive behavior that really just–there’s no place for it in a school or an after-school activity,” Schmidt said.
As of January 10, the bill has yet to be scheduled for a committee hearing.
Albert James is a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.
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