Teen sentenced after being accused of head-butting a referee

DAYTON — The former Dunbar football player accused of head-butting a referee during a high school football game over a year ago was sentenced on Thursday.

The teen was convicted on a single count of felonious assault, and he was sentenced to six months probation.

If he violates probation, he will be ordered to serve a year in juvenile prison.

He also was ordered to undergo anger management and pay back restitution.

The incident was filmed and went viral.

The teen’s lawyer initially argued that the player did not knowingly cause the injury.

The referee, Scott Bistrek, told the judge that the night of the incident he had been in shock and didn’t visit the hospital that night.

However, the next day he woke up with what he described as the worst headache of his life.

Doctors diagnosed Bistrek with a closed head injury with suspicion of concussion.

Bistrek was off work for more than two weeks and claims he wasn’t symptom free for 12 weeks.

The teen’s lawyer Brock Schoenlein pointed out that Bistrek was already on medication for herniated disks and doesn’t think that prosecution proved the headaches were from the head-butt.

Cox Media Group