Referee Calls For Assault Law Change Testifies In Support Of Bill That Allows Stiffer Penalties For Attacking School Officials

Bob West hopes his testimony will be the knock-out punch in favor of an assault bill he has pushed for three years.

Armed with a videotape of a head-butting incident that placed him in the national spotlight, the Spokane-area wrestling referee testified Tuesday in support of a bill that would provide stiffer sentences for assaults against school officials while performing their official duties.

While officiating a high school wrestling match three years ago, he was knocked unconscious after being head-butted by a Colville athlete protesting a call.

“There needs to be a message sent that such behavior will not be tolerated,” West said. “We need a punishment that fits this heinous crime.”

The hearing was conducted by the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee.

Sponsored by Rep. Jack Cairnes, R-Kent, the proposed legislation would allow judges to consider assault of a school official an aggravating factor in determining whether or not to go outside the standard sentence range for the crime. Eleven other states have similar laws.

Washington’s assault laws do not specify that an attack on a school official is a compelling reason to hand down an exceptional sentence.

Chad Hildebrandt, who was 17 when the headbutting occurred, pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 30 days in juvenile detention, a year of probation and 100 hours of community service. He also had a prior assault conviction.

“I don’t think that the sentence sends the appropriate message,” West said, adding that an acceptable sentence would have, perhaps, been a year in jail with some time suspended.

“(The lawyers) kept asking me what my medical condition was,” he said. “What difference did it make? It’s the act that should decide the sentence - not what happened to me.”

Merton Cooper said that was the first logical statement he’d heard during the proceeding.

“Assault is assault,” said the Port Orchard resident. “If the law for assault isn’t any good then change the law for assault.”

Cooper, who called himself a supporter of equal rights, was the lone opponent of the legislation to speak at the hearing. He said he is against creating categories that allow “preferential consideration” of some citizens.

“The state keeps hollering about equality and then you keep making laws to separate us,” he said at the hearing.

While acknowledging that he has problems creating legal inequalities in our laws, Rep. John Koster, R-Monroe, said that something needs to be done about violence in schools.

“Kids with a history of violence shouldn’t be permitted to play,” he said. Reflecting on his time as a high-school athlete, Koster said that the prospect of not being able to play football would have been a deterrent for him.

Bob Maier of the Washington Education Association agreed.

“Sports officials are becoming more vulnerable,” said Maier, adding that increasing penalties is a step in the right direction.

West said he was exasperated at a system that doesn’t adequately protect school officials.

“That kid shouldn’t have been there at all,” West said, referring to Hildebrandt’s prior offense.

West also blamed high-profile professional athletes who are violent toward referees. He pointed-out that assaults in school and recreation leagues mirror the attacks publicized in the professional leagues.

“When (Baltimore Oriole) Roberto Alomar spit in the face of an umpire, people thought it was acceptable to spit in the face of the umpire,” West said.