Parents and athletes could face a year in prison under the proposal.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Youth sports referees have told Washington state senators they need more protection.
Some testified in Olympia in support of Senate Bill 5272, which would strengthen punishments for those who harass or assault referees or officials at school sporting events.
Bob West, a former wrestling referee, told a Senate panel about the time a high school wrestler head-butted him during a match in Colville in 1996.
“I quit breathing, was unconscious for about five minutes, and have undergone four neck surgeries as a result of this vicious attack,”
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