Hudson Valley Boys’ Coach Fired Over ‘Referee Attack’

After allegedly chest bumping a referee and hurling obscenities at him, a local man is no longer allowed to coach a Hudson Valley boys' basketball team.

Tom Mullins, an assistant Poughkeepsie boys' basketball coach, was fired on Monday after an investigation into his behavior at a game against Goshen. Referee Ed Incle has filed a police report with the Village of Goshen police in response to Mullins' actions.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the incident happened during Poughkeepsie’s 51-46 win over Goshen last Thursday. According to the Journal, Incle claims that Coach Mullins screamed obscenities and bumped him at least five times after he was given two technical fouls near the end of the game. Mullins was ejected from the game because of the fouls and then allegedly chest bumped Incle, yelling “You’re an (bleep) piece of (bleep).”

A Village of Goshen police officer escorted Mullens out of the gym while Incle says the coach continued to threaten him by yelling “I will see you outside.”

All of this apparently happened in front of the children and families of the players at the game. Incle told The Poughkeepsie Journal that he asked police to arrest Mullens. He continued:

Attacks on referees have become a growing epidemic and some officials have been killed in other states. It’s gone way too far. These are high school games and they take it way too seriously. I don’t expect to be assaulted on the court. I was the victim of battery and I could file a civil suit.

Do you agree with the referee in this situation? Or do you think Mullens was unjustly fired? Is there ever a reason to behave like this at a children's basketball game?