A longtime Kansas high school basketball referee is stepping away from officiating after a ridiculous clip of him flopping while working a game on Friday night went viral.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association released a statement on Monday saying it was aware of the incident during a girls basketball game between Bonner Springs and Eudora, which Jeff Freeman was officiating. During the second half, Freeman gave a Bonner Springs player a technical foul for arguing over a call. That player quickly earned a second technical, too, and was ejected.
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As that player left the court, she and Bonner Springs head coach Peyton Leslie approached the referee to keep talking about the play. The player can be seen slightly touching the official, who then fell back to the court with his arms completely extended moments later.
An angle of the incident from the other side showed Freeman’s fall. He very clearly looked at the player, unmoved by the minimal contact, and then fell back to the court after a long pause. The player in question, coach and the other official all looked completely stunned.
Freeman will be taking a step back from officiating for the near future. It’s unclear how long he will be sidelined, or if he will face any other discipline.
“It was determined the appropriate course of action is to have the official, identified as Jeff Freeman, take a break from active officiating in order to pursue appropriate outcomes for the official and all stakeholders,” the KSHSAA said in a statement on Monday to Fox4KC.
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Freeman continued to officiate the game after that, and he worked a boys varsity game immediately after, too.
Freeman has been an official for over 30 years in the state, and is a former educator. He said he has a medical condition, and is planning to visit his neurologist on Tuesday.
“Ask my fellow officials, coaches, athletic directors, etc. about me. My reputation is stellar,” Freeman said in his statement. “I do not want any additional punishment to that player, coach, or school, it was not their fault.”
