MISSISSIPPI (NBC) – An umpire in Mississippi is recovering after being punched in the face following a softball game for 12-year-old children.
Kristie Moore says she was filling in for an umpire who got sick. She has been calling games for 10 years.
During the game, a mother was cursing so badly during the game that Moore asked her to leave. Eventually, the coach made the mom leave, but instead of going home, the woman is accused of waiting to confront Moore after the game, punching her and then running away.
The mother, Kiara Thomas, was arrested and charged with simple assault.
Moore said some parents are out of control and make it harder and harder for umpires to do their jobs.
“It’s ridiculous. The verbal abuse and even now, I mean, it’s, it’s turned into physical abuse now also at this point, and, I mean, enough is enough. I mean, I also staff every USFA tournament for the state of Mississippi with umpires, and it gets harder and harder and harder every tournament to staff these tournaments because nobody one wants to listen to the verbal abuse and run the risk of what happened to me happening to them,” Moore said.
A bill was introduced in the Mississippi legislature earlier this year that would make assaulting a referee or umpire a felony as aggravated assault. That bill, however, died on the calendar.
Moore said she hopes that, after this, lawmakers will take a second look.
