A high school basketball referee in Oklahoma ejected an entire section of the gymnasium last week during a boys' basketball game between rivals Magnum and Frederick high schools.
According to WRIC, the official ejected the entire home side of the Frederick gymnasium.
“The officials ask that the whole side clear,” a school administrator said on a public address microphone in the gym.
It was no surprise that the game between the rival high schools got a little heated.
“The kids that are playing now, I covered their parents’ games when they played,” said Chad Fox, announcer for Mangum Tiger TV and owner of the radio station 97.7 KHIM, which was broadcasting the game.
Fox called the ejection of the entire side of the gymnasium "unique."
While Fox said the reason for the ejection was unclear, he suspected the referee may have been "called a few names for a while."
Referee Corey Inmon, who has worked high school games for three decades, said the measure was necessary to keep control of the game. He also recalled being in a similar situation years ago.
“Somebody blurted out a curse word in one specific section, and nobody wanted to admit to it. So I just sent, you know, there were 10 or 12 people in that section, and I just ejected all of them,” Inmon said, adding that he's only ejected around 30 people over the course of his entire career.
“There’s a shortage of officials and a lot of that has to do with parents’ behavior,” he said. “A high school basketball game on a Tuesday night is not Game Seven of the NBA finals. The officials are doing the best that they can.”
Frederick superintendent Shannon Vanderburg released the following statement on the matter:
“On January 29, 2026, during a basketball game at Frederick High School, an incident occurred involving an unsportsmanlike exchange between a fan and an official causing an ejection. This interaction prompted a negative reaction from some attendees, leading to the removal of all supporters from the gymnasium. Frederick Public Schools reaffirms its commitment to upholding sportsmanship standards. It is important to recognize that many attendees did not engage in any inappropriate behavior. Moving forward, we encourage our fans to participate in a positive and encouraging manner, acting as respectable representatives of our Bombers.”
