Central Los Angeles : Black Group to Help Ex-Player Accused of Hitting Referee

A coalition of African American community leaders and business owners announced Monday the establishment of a legal defense fund for a former football player accused of punching a referee after an alleged racial slur.

Kumasi Simmons, a black 17-year-old former football player for Compton Centennial High, is facing criminal charges for allegedly hitting a referee after the referee called him a “nigger” at an Oct. 20 game against Beverly Hills High.

The referee, Ken Smotrys, who is white, denies that he has ever used the racial epithet.

“There seems to be a broad effort to attack and destroy the very best our community has to offer, from our political spokesmen and clergy to our sports figures, and now, an honor student with an impeccable record,” said Adwoa Nyamekye, a spokeswoman for the coalition, reading from a statement.

In addition to the assault charges he faces in Beverly Hills Juvenile Court, Simmons was dismissed from the Centennial team and later “terminated” from the Compton Unified School District.

Officials discovered after the altercation that Simmons was improperly enrolled at Centennial because he is a resident of Chino Hills, which is not within the boundaries of the district.

Simmons has been described by friends and family as a good student with aspirations to study medicine.

Coalition members are hoping to raise $20,000 to $30,000 to pay for Simmons’ legal fees, said William Ruffin, the executive director of the Crenshaw-based Black Employees Assn., which represents black government workers.