NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee lawmaker has apologized after attempting to pull down the pants of a basketball referee during a high school game after he disagreed with the official’s call.
Tennessee House Rep. Jeremy Faison, Tennessee’s House Republican caucus chairman, was attending a game in Johnson City on Tuesday when players from opposing boys basketball teams began shoving after a loose ball, WSMV-TV reported.
Video that Providence Academy posted on its Facebook livestream showed Faison in front of the scorer’s table arguing with officials, the television station reported. It appeared as though Faison attempted to pull down the referee’s pants, and he was asked to leave the gymnasium, WSMV reported.
It is unclear what caused the incident, WVLT-TV reported.
I acted the fool tonight.
— Rep. Jeremy Faison (@JeremyFaison4TN) January 5, 2022
I’m hoping to be able to make it right. pic.twitter.com/W8PINvTue5
Faison tweeted an apology on Tuesday, saying that he “acted the fool.”
“Unfortunately, I acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref. I was wanting him to fight me. Totally lost my junk and got booted from the gym,” Faison said in a statement posted to Twitter. “I’ve never really lost my temper but I did tonight and it was completely stupid of me. Emotions getting in the way of rational thoughts are never good. I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong.”
Faison represents District 11, which contains Cocke County and parts of Jefferson and Greene counties, according to WVLT.
“For years I thought how wrong it is when a parent loses their temper at a sporting event,” Faison wrote in his statement. “It’s not Christian and it’s not mature and it’s embarrassing to the child.”
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