SPRINGDALE -- Police are investigating the parent of a Springdale Har-Ber High School player after a local basketball referee filed a complaint over an incident following a Feb. 18 game.
Ryan Dennis, a referee with the Northwest Arkansas Basketball Officials Association, filed a harassment report with Springdale police claiming Theron Eckwood followed him and Wesley Smith, a second official, to their cars after the game, yelling obscenities and critiquing the officiating in Fayetteville High School's 56-51 win over Har-Ber.
"He was very close to us, shouting as we kept our backs to him, not saying a word," Dennis said in an email report to Mike Fox, the supervisor of officials for the area's larger high schools. "I felt threatened as he shouted these words."
Smith said in a separate email to Fox the following day he felt Eckwood was trying to anger the officials.
"The man kept saying we had it out for his kid from the start of the game," Smith wrote.
Har-Ber principal Danny Brackett, meanwhile, said in an email school officials "are investigating alleged comments that indicate there is an effort by 7A officials in a way to limit the success of particular students, coaches and Har-Ber High School."
The principal also wrote in his Feb. 20 email to Joey Walters of the Arkansas Activities Association the school is considering legal action over the allegations of bias against Har-Ber players and coaches by 7A referees.
"No official or human being deserves the experience of Wednesday," Brackett wrote about the incident between Eckwood and the referees, "but no student or coach deserves to be treated unprofessionally, met with arrogance, targeted or experience the histrionics I continue to witness from 7A officials."
Brackett declined Monday to comment on his email to the activities association, but said the situation was "behind us." Springdale superintendent Jim Rollins echoed that sentiment Tuesday.
"We have no plans to pursue litigation against any officials," Rollins said in a statement.
Eckwood's son, Tereke Eckwood, is a senior on the Har-Ber basketball team. He has committed to play college basketball at Central Missouri.
Theron Eckwood downplayed his post-game actions.
"I did not threaten nobody," Eckwood said. "I did not do harm to anyone. I just made a statement. Bad refereeing."
He said he regrets his choice of words.
"In the heat of that moment, I did make an inappropriate statement talking about the referees, which I do regret," Eckwood said. "I already apologized to my family and the administration of Har-Ber High School. And if I had the opportunity to apologize to the referees, I would have."
Tereke Eckwood earned all-state honors as a junior at Springdale High before transferring to crosstown rival Har-Ber, where he ranked sixth in 7A-West Conference play in scoring this season, averaging a team high 15.4 points a game.
His father said Tereke was knocked down seven times during the Feb. 18 game and no fouls were called.
"There's a lot of people out there that have said something to a ref about their refereeing, so I don't know why I'm being used as a scapegoat," Theron Eckwood said.
Lt. Derek Hudson, the public information officer with the Springdale Police Department, said Tuesday the investigation is ongoing and could be sent to Ernest Cate, Springdale city attorney, by the end of the week. The report has been filed as harassment, which would be a misdemeanor charge.
Hudson said Dennis told police he wanted Eckwood charged with a crime.
Dennis said in the email to Fox that Eckwood called him by name as he followed him to his vehicle.
"My immediate reaction was disappointment that that would allegedly happen," Fox said. "We'd never had an incident in the 25 years I'd been the supervisor of officials."
More than 20 states across the country have laws in place to protect the safety of sports officials. The National Association of Sports Officials said 23 states have legislation in place and other states are also considering similar measures.
Fox is working as the crew chief for the 7A state tournament hosted by Har-Ber this week. He said he hasn't spoken about the issue since Brackett's initial email about referees targeting Har-Ber.
"I can only term that as disappointing, too," he said of the allegation.
"If the three officials are in the wrong, we'll take care of it," Fox said. "If the parent's in the wrong, I believe that needs to be taken care of. The facts will hopefully come out."
A spokesperson for the Arkansas Activities Association said the decision to ban a parent from attending a high school sporting event was left to the school involved. Rollins said the district didn't have any plans to ban or penalize Eckwood. Eckwood didn't attend Har-Ber's regular-season finale against Rogers Heritage High School.
NW News on 03/05/2015