A Little League coach in Oklahoma with a history of problematic behavior was arrested for assaulting an umpire.
Johnathan Lee, 40, has been charged with assault upon an athletic official after he attacked an umpire at home plate during a May 2 game.
“We all need to remind ourselves, and just this is a game where kids are there to have fun and to learn and to hold ourselves accountable and lead by example in front of those kids,” said Seminole Police chief John Withers.
The assault was caught on camera, and Brady Dallas, who runs the Oklahoma Grit Youth Association, says the immediate reaction from fans was "shock."
“He was a good baseball coach,” Dallas told KFOR. “We had issues at times where, um, he would have confrontations with umpires, maybe park staff, things like that.“
Dallas said the association was going to part way with Lee, but Lee left before he was dismissed and went on to create his own team called Oklahoma Grit, which is not associated with Dallas' youth association.
The umpire told police Lee walked into him, thrusting towards him. The umpire reacted, trying to get Lee to back away by what appeared to be a slap. Lee then stuck the umpire in the face and threw him to the ground. At that point, others stepped in to restrain Lee.
“We need to as a community come together and, you know, really figure out better solutions to our arguments and our problems,” said Dallas
The Oklahoma Grit Youth Association released the following statement following the incident:
We want to address an issue brought to our attention yesterday evening involving an 11U team connected to an incident at Seminole Ballpark on Saturday night. First and foremost, the coach and team involved have not been affiliated with our organization for nearly a year. Following the coach’s departure, we unfortunately did not have sufficient legal grounds to require a name change. We regret that this situation has reflected negatively on our organization and brand, and we are actively exploring ways to address and correct that association. Our organization is built on strong principles and values, with a focus on setting positive examples for young athletes. While youth sports are inherently competitive, they should always provide a safe environment where players can learn, grow, and handle both success and failure appropriately. Incidents like this are disappointing for everyone involved in youth sports, and we are committed to distancing our organization from this situation to the fullest extent possible.
