Taunton Western Little League suspended after umpires claim they were harassed at a game
This is a file photo of a baseball field. (WLNE)
TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A local little league is suspended after two longtime umpires claim they were harassed at a game Monday night.
According to the Greater Taunton Amateur Baseball Umpire Association, the umpires reported they were insulted and ridiculed by coaches, players, and spectators at a Taunton Western Little League game.
The umpires say the situation escalated as spectators threatened them with physical violence. They claim the harassment continued off the field, with people coming up to them.
One of the coaches on the eventual losing team is the President of the Taunton Western Little League, Tyler Doehler.
In a statement, Doehler said the incident involved fans trying to approach the umpires after the game. While he says the behavior is intolerable, his statement did not include anything happening during the game or any threats of violence.
“As a league, we take this matter very seriously,” Doehler said. “All parties involved in the incident have been suspended from our park indefinitely.”
“We want to ensure our little league remains a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved,” he added.
Doehler noted that no one, including players and coaches, has been asked to leave a game so far this season, including on Monday.
After an investigation, the GTABUA Executive Board decided that the Taunton Western Little League was in breach of its contract for allowing combative behavior on the field.
They overwhelmingly voted to suspend further officiating services to the league.
“It is the position of the GTABUA that hostile behavior, both verbal and physical, cannot be tolerated by anyone involved in playing a game, especially a kid’s game,” the Board said. “No official in any sport should have to experience what these umpires endured.”
The association said the incident was consistent with a national trend of acting hostile and even violent towards game officials.
The GTABUA said it’s in full support of pending legislation in Massachusetts that would criminalize that type of behavior.
