Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesKarl Hess has long been one of the most controversial referees in college basketball, but his days of officiating ACC games are over.
According to ESPN's Jeff Goodman, the conference has fired the longtime official in the wake of an alleged interaction with a fan:
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPNVeteran ref Karl Hess confirmed to ESPN he has been notified that the ACC has fired him for his comments to a fan last week. Story coming.
Per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), hotel magnate Mit Shah revealed on Twitter that Hess made an ethnically charged remark toward him during a game between Louisville and Wake Forest Sunday.
Although Shah's Twitter account is now protected, the tweet read as follows, according to the AP report:
"Karl Hess to me at the Wake-Louisville game tonight...'When I'm older, I want to sit in your seat & watch your Egyptian ass ref a game' #Wow"
The ACC terminated Hess in response to that, and Hess has subsequently removed himself from officiating American Athletic Conference games as well, according to Goodman.
In response to the allegations against him, Hess took responsibility but also denied any intention to offend Shah, per Goodman:
It's a sad day and is devastating. But I'm responsible.
I wasn't trying to deliberately hurt anyone. That's not my character. I goof around a lot, and there was no intent to hurt anyone.
While this is certainly the most egregious controversy of Hess' officiating career, he is no stranger to on-court squabbles, as evidenced by this article highlighting his biggest missteps, courtesy of Syracuse.com's Patrick Stevens.
Ultimately, Stephen Schramm of The Fayetteville (North Carolina) Observer is among those who believe the ACC did the right thing:
Stephen Schramm @stephenschrammICYMI: The ACC made the correct call in cutting ties with Karl Hess. http://t.co/9zIDZABTF9
Regardless of Hess' intentions, there is no room for the type of comment he allegedly made in college basketball.
Hess was expected to hold himself to the highest possible standard as an ACC official, and there is no doubt that he fell short in that respect.
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