New penalty for assaulting sports officials proposed

A new crime of assaulting a sports official would be created under a measure considered Feb. 12 by the Judiciary Committee.

LB657, introduced by Omaha Sen. Bob Andersen, would establish the Respecting and Ensuring Fairness for Sports Officials Act and create the offense of assault on a sports official. Under the bill as introduced, it would be a Class IV felony to cause bodily harm to a referee, umpire, linesman or other sports official before, during or after an athletic contest they officiate. A Class IV felony carries a penalty of two years in prison or a $10,000 fine.

An amendment brought by Andersen to the committee hearing would change the offense from a Class IV to a Class 3IIIA felony, punishable by up to three years in prison plus 9 to 18 months of post-release supervision.

Andersen said offering specific legal protections for sports officials would align Nebraska with 22 other states with similar laws. A 2023 survey of over 1,000 Nebraska sports officials found that 53% had been verbally assaulted by a spectator, he said, and 20% had been verbally threatened by a coach.

Increasing threats of verbal harassment and physical assault against sports officials, both nationally and statewide, are causing some to resign, Andersen said, resulting in a shortage of sports officials.

“If we do not take action now, this shortage will worsen, negatively impacting high school and youth sports programs,” he said. “Simply put, without officials, there are no games.”

Nate Neuhaus testified in support of the bill on behalf of the Nebraska School Activities Association.

Sports officials play an important role beyond just enforcing the rules, Neuhaus said, often acting as mentors and teaching players the significance of good sportsmanship. However, officials long have been subjected to verbal abuse and threats and increasingly are threatened with physical violence, he said.

“LB657 sends a clear message [that] violence against officials will not be tolerated,” Neuhaus said. “By strengthening protections for these individuals, we are taking a monumental step towards ensuring a safer environment.”

Michael Ferguson also supported the measure on behalf of the Eastern Nebraska Officials Association. As an official himself, Ferguson said he had experienced harassment, which at one point made him consider resigning from officiating.

“A law like this to protect officials would help encourage people to stay,” Ferguson said. “I would feel a little bit safer stepping out onto the floor or onto the field knowing that if something were to happen, there’s a little bit higher-level protection for officials.”

Spike Eickholt, representing the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, opposed the proposal. The bill is unnecessary, he said, because assault already is a crime.

Under current law, assaulting an official at a sporting event could be considered third-degree assault, Eickholt said, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine.

“It’s not a slap on the wrist; it’s not de minimis,” he said. “It’s a serious, highest-level misdemeanor crime.”

The committee took no immediate action on LB657.