The school district says it has reported the complaint to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A Yuma High School varsity basketball player claims he was inappropriately touched by a referee at a Phoenix game.
The alleged incident occurred on January 19th during a Lady Criminals game at Shadow Mountain High School.
The victim's mother contacted us and said that the game continued after the incident. Her mother claims her daughter had just made a play and put her hands on her knees and bent over her to catch her breath. That's when she claims her referee came up behind her and grabbed her butt with his open hand.
She said her daughter and her teammates immediately reacted to the referee's actions, and the school suspended them for two games.
Both Thursday and Friday's games were canceled.
The principal of Yuma High School responded:
“Regarding allegations of ‘inappropriate touching’ by officials at the January 19th Shadow Mountain game: Yuma High School administrators learned of the incident the night of the game. We have been working with and supporting the parents of our student-athletes. “This includes sharing our concerns with the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), speaking with the Paradise Valley School District athletic director, and speaking with Shadow Mountain administrators.'' They have assured us that it has been looked into and that they are taking appropriate action.”
We have reached out to the Arizona Interscholastic Association for comment and are awaiting a response.
Of note, the team is having trouble having enough players on the roster. When we contacted YHS regarding this matter, the school responded, “Second question regarding the team in general. Unfortunately, the number of varsity student-athletes fluctuates throughout the season. There are many factors involved in this. .Includes the academic efforts of some of the girls.”
The district also announced that two recent games have been canceled due to a limited number of student-athletes available. “Assistant coaches Jasmine Barraza and Isabel Ponce are leading the team these days. We are unable to provide further personnel details at this time,” the district said in a statement.
