San Antonio HS Football Players Allege Referee Used Racial Slurs Before Incident

The two John Jay High School football players who tackled an official last weekend alleged the official used racial slurs prior to their outburst, per ESPN.com.

Cory Smith of KSAT in San Antonio reported Sunday that the Northside Independent School District suspended Victor Rojas and Michael Moreno from school pending an investigation. The incident occurred Friday in a game between John Jay and Marble Falls High School.

In addition to the punishment they've received from the school district, Rojas and Moreno could also face legal repercussions. According to ESPN.com, the pair could face criminal charges.    

Greg Gibson uploaded a video of the play in question, which shows Rojas hitting Robert Watts at the start of the play, then Moreno lunging at Watts while he was on the ground:

The University Interscholastic League in Texas released a statement on Twitter in the aftermath, condemning Rojas' and Moreno's actions:

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The UIL is extremely concerned about the actions portrayed in the football game between Marble Falls and San Antonio Jay. The League is working with the school districts and officials involved to conduct a thorough investigation. The UIL takes this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete.

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NISD Superintendent Dr. Brian Woods placed John Jay assistant coach Mack Breed on administrative leave after he allegedly told his players Watts "needs to pay for cheating us," per Fox 29 in San Antonio.

"I like to keep my officiating quiet; unfortunately, this will be big news," Watts told Ronald Oswalt of TexasHSFootball.com. He added: "Libel and slander have already been committed against me. I will be contacting the appropriate people soon, and any statement from me will come at a later date."