Head-Butted Referee To End Quest

Thu., Jan. 20, 2000

After four years of legislation and testimony, Bob West, a Spokane-area wrestling referee, hopes to end his “labor of love” with a bill that would make violent acts against school officials a class C felony.

Currently, students who harm officials and have no prior convictions may receive just detention.

Today the Senate Education Committee will hear West’s testimony on the bill sponsored by Sen. Bob McCaslin, D-Spokane Valley.

West will testify about what happened while he was officiating a January 1996 wrestling match. In response to what he saw as an unfair call by West, a 190-pound Colville High School wrestler head-butted the referee in the left temple, knocking him out for about three minutes.

West said he has a permanent, partial disability from the incident, and says the 30 days in jail, year of probation and 100 hours of community service the Colville boy served was not enough.

After three years of trying to implement harsher penalties for students who lash out at school officials, West said he will most likely abandon this issue whether it passes or not.

“This is my closure to the incident,” West said.

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