Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, center, talks with Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown, left, during a meeting, Aug. 11, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. A top Tennessee House Republican lawmaker has apologized for losing his temper and being ejected from watching a high school basketball game after getting into a confrontation with a referee, including a brief gesture at pulling down the official's pants that is visible in video footage of the game. On Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 Rep. Jeremy Faison, 45, posted on Twitter that he “acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref.” (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)
By Jonathan Mattise and Kimberlee Kruesi
A top Tennessee House Republican lawmaker has apologized for losing his temper and being ejected from watching a high school basketball game after a confrontation with a referee. The dustup included what appeared to be either a feigned or failed attempt at pulling down the official's pants, according to video footage.
On Tuesday, Rep. Jeremy Faison, 45, posted on Twitter that he “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 gym," Faison wrote. "I've never really lost my temper 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.”
Providence Academy, a private religious school in Johnson City, livestreamed the boys game Tuesday against Lakeway Christian Academy, a private religious school in White Pine. Faison's son is on the Lakeway team.
The video feed shows Faison sitting in the stands before players hit the ground on a loose ball in the third quarter, spurring the referee's whistle and a brief scuffle between the two teams.
According to a report provided by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Faison showed up on the court and was then told by a referee to leave. Faison then pointed a finger at the referee's face and said, “You can't tell me to leave the floor this was your fault,” the report stated.
Faison then grabs the ref's pants and tugged down on them, the report says.
The referee's pants stayed up and Faison subsequently walked away.
Since 2019, Faison has been the House caucus chairman for Republicans, who have supermajorities in both legislative chambers. The GOP caucus chairman is among the most influential position in the House.
In his apology, the lawmaker from Cosby wrote that “for years" he has thought it is wrong for parents to lose their temper at sporting events, saying it is “not Christian and it's not mature and it's embarrassing to the child.” Faison did not specifically mention the pants-pulling-down gesture in his post.
News of Faison's actions quickly sparked criticism.
"'Pantsing' a ref on the gym floor is next level bullying…not even the stuff of middle school locker rooms," Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Knoxville Democrat, tweeted Wednesday.
Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, joins Cheddar News to discuss the company launching billboards across the country in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
President Biden has announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters. It comes as Russian forces appear to be preparing for a new, aggressive offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine. Paul McLeary, defense reporter for Politico, joined Cheddar to discuss this new round of aid and what it means for the U.S. commitment to arming the embattled country.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.
Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies, President Biden has announced a ban on importing Russian oil, gas, and energy. To discuss how this ban will impact the war and Americans, Amir Handjani, non-resident fellow at Quincy Institute, joins Cheddar News.
Thousands of protesters around the world are expressing their solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's invasion.
Jason Beardsley, national executive director of the Association of the U.S. Navy and national security expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As gas prices surge amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, other nations could potentially transition faster to using clean energy than previously expected. Philip K. Verleger, a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, joined Cheddar News to explain how this could be a possibility in the near future. "Part of the reason I think we have this invasion and the tantrum that's being thrown by Russia, terrible tantrum, is because the Russians were trying to slow down the transition," he said. "Ironically they speeded it up."
Following the invasion of Ukraine, a multitude of Western companies have paused doing business with Russia. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Starbucks are the most recent companies to temporarily cease operations in Russia. Dean of Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, John Quelch, joined Cheddar News to discuss what message this sends to Russia and the Russian consumer. “I would not underestimate the collective strength of all of these multinational companies, essentially coming together to make their collective statement in support of the political statements that have come out of Washington," he said.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
