Texas high school football official who ripped off player's helmet suspended

UIL reversed ejection dealt to Whitney (Texas) linebacker after video of incident sparked outrage over weekend

A Texas high school football official has been suspended pending an investigation after video showed him forcefully removing the helmet of a player during a live play.

The ejection handed down to the the Whitney High School player after the official removed his helmet was reversed, the University Interscholastic League announced on Monday.

Video of the incident shared on Twitter/X late Friday night sparked widespread outrage. Karla Haynes, mother of the player involved, Whitney senior linebacker Trey Haynes, described the behavior as assault and asked how such actions are "allowed from a ref."

Unbelievable.

Texas high school official rips off player’s helmet and ejects him immediately after 🤯

🎥 @CoachHightower3

https://t.co/8Gn2izyB5C

— High School on SI (@SBLiveSports) October 1, 2023

The player's father, Whitney's head football coach and athletic director David Haynes, shared a message in response to the UIL's decision to suspend the official and rescind the ejection.

"I want to thank (the UIL) and (Texas Association of Sports Officials) for all that they do for our kids in Texas!" Haynes said in a post to Twitter. "We received good news today and looking forward to the game this Friday!! Thank (sic) everyone that has reached out and the Wildcats are 5-0!!!!!"

The UIL did not release the name of the official.

I want to thank @uiltexas & @TexasOfficials for all that they do for our kids in Texas! It definitely doesn’t go unnoticed! We received good news today and looking forward to the game this Friday!! Thank everyone that has reached out and the Wildcats are 5-0!!!! #WTX #Fourteen

— David Haynes, Jr. M. ED (@CoachHaynesJr) October 2, 2023

The incident took place during Whitney's 56-28 win over Madison in Dallas on Friday night. 

Footage from multiple angles shows Trey Haynes backpedal, turn around and bump into the umpire — the official in the center of the defense — while trying to pursue the play. 

The official then grabs the player's helmet with two hands and pulls the player's head aggressively until the helmet comes off, sending the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Haynes tumbling. 

Haynes reacted by throwing his hands up in the air in confusion. The official threw a flag against Haynes and proceeded to eject him.

The video circulated online widely over the weekend, many chastising the official's behavior. The UIL said Saturday morning that it was aware of the incident and looking into it.

Here is the UIL's full statement:

"The UIL is addressing a concerning incident that occurred during the Whitney vs. Dallas Madison varsity football game on September 29, involving a sports official and a student athlete from Whitney High School.

In cooperation with the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO), the UIL has taken action to reverse the game ejection of the student athlete from Whitney High School. Additionally, the official involved has been removed from officiating UIL games pending the completion of a thorough investigation."

-- UIL spokesperson Julia Zachary

It's not immediately clear what could come of the investigation. It is also not known whether or not any charges were filed with police. 

Whitney (5-0) plays Life Oak Cliff on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats are one of two District 7-3A teams with an undefeated district record, and the only without a loss on the season.

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx