KENMORE, Wash. — The father of a middle school student is facing second-degree assault after allegedly pushing a referee to the ground during a basketball game.
Mark McLaughlin pleaded not guilty to the charge Tuesday morning.
During the Kenmore Middle School game on Dec. 16, McLaughlin's eighth-grade son intentionally fouls another player, causing a skirmish on the court, according to charging documents. One referee went to break the skirmish up, and McLaughlin's son is knocked to the ground, according to documents.
That referee can be seen on video helping the boy up.
Another referee was standing in the middle of the skirmish when McLaughlin went "barreling down onto the court and rammed into" him, according to charging documents. That referee hit the floor face first, breaking his nose and cheek bone, according to documents.
A police report notes that "several" parents from both schools called 911 to tell them what they witnessed or what their child witnessed.
It took 1.5 hours for the referee's nose to stop bleeding, according to charging documents.
Bail for McLaughlin was set at $20,000 based on "the likelihood that the defendant may commit a violent offense." His criminal history includes a domestic violence charge from 2014, which "appears to have been deferred."
Prosecutor's note, "The defendant is clearly unable to keep his temper under control, even in a room full of children and parents at a school basketball game."
McLaughlin was a standout basketball player at Central Washington University in 2012. He played for nine schools in six years, including University of Washington and Seattle U.