Texas High School Football Referee Suspended for Ripping off Player’s Helmet

A high school football official from Texas has been suspended pending an investigation after a video showed him ripping off the helmet of a player during a live play. The incident happened on Friday night, and the player, Trey Haynes from Whitney High School, was ejected by the official after ripping his helmet off. According to Sports Illustrated, the ejection was reversed by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). 

The player’s father, Whitney head football coach and athletic director David Haynes, went to social media to react to the decision. “I want to thank (the UIL) and (Texas Association of Sports Officials) for all that they do for our kids in Texas!” Haynes said. “We received good news today and looking forward to the game this Friday!! Thank (sic) everyone that has reached out and the Wildcats are 5-0!!!!!”

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A video of the incident was shared on the social media network formerly known as Twitter. It shows Trey Haynes bumping into the referee while trying to pursue the play. The official then grabs the player’s helmet with two hands and pulls the player’s head until the helmet comes off. Haynes reacted by throwing his hands in the air, which led to the official throwing a flag and disqualifying him from the game. 

“The UIL is addressing a concerning incident that occurred during the Whitney vs. Dallas Madison varsity football game on September 29, involving a sports official and a student athlete from Whitney High School,” the UIL said in a statement. “In cooperation with the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO), the UIL has taken action to reverse the game ejection of the student athlete from Whitney High School. Additionally, the official involved has been removed from officiating UIL games pending the completion of a thorough investigation.

The name of the official has not been revealed by the UIL. It is also not clear what will happen to the official once the investigation is complete. Whitney won the game on Friday night, defeating Madison 56-28 in Dallas.