Top GOP lawmaker attempted to pants referee during basketball game [View all]

A top Republican state lawmaker yelled at a game official and attempted to pull his pants down during a high school basketball match Tuesday night, an incident he later called "completely stupid" in a statement.

Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, acknowledged he was "bad wrong" and hoped to apologize to the official for losing his temper. The game was recorded live on Facebook by Johnson City's Providence Academy, which was hosting Lakeway Christian Academy.

"For years I thought how wrong it is when a parent loses their temper at a sporting event. It’s not Christian and it’s not mature and it’s embarrassing to the child have always been my thoughts," Faison, the state House Republican Caucus chair, wrote on his official Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"Unfortunately, I acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref. I was wanting him to fight me. Totally lost my junk and got booted from the from the gym. I’ve never really lost my temper for all to see, but I did tonight and it was completely stupid of me. Emotions getting in the way of rational thoughts are never good. I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong."

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2022/01/05/top-gop-lawmaker-jeremy-faison-attempted-pants-referee-during-basketball-game-seeks-forgiveness/9107209002/