A post-game, locker-room conversation between referees, caught on tape without their knowledge, has sent East High basketball fans into a rage, put referees on the defensive and prompted a discrimination claim from one of the city's most successful coaches.
Dorena Bingham, who has led the East girls to three state championships and seven regional titles in 11 seasons as a coach, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office this week based on referee comments on the tape about her appearance and sideline behavior.
The comments were captured on tape by Bingham's brother at last week's Cook Inlet Conference basketball tournament at West High. By chance, the brother, Pete Cyril, was working in an office that was serving as a locker room for tournament referees.
Anchorage School District Superintendent Carol Comeau has taken an interest. Comeau said Thursday that she normally doesn't like to get involved in athletic issues but thought the referee comments deserved her attention.
Comeau, who said she had listened to part of the tape, confirmed Bingham had filed a complaint and that an investigation will be pending.
"I have serious concerns about what occurred," Comeau said. "I want to be able to assure our coaches and athletes that they are treated fairly."
Comeau said all cases going to the Equal Employment Opportunity Office are confidential.
The 20-minute tape obtained by the Daily News features crude and inappropriate remarks about Bingham by referees Marcus Lowe, Tony Collela and Tim Alderson, who addressed one another by first name and who were identified on the game's official score sheet.
"It's pretty disturbing stuff," East principal Michael Graham said.
Bingham declined comment when reached by telephone.
The tape has become a popular topic of conversation within the local basketball community and beyond, with copies surfacing on the Internet.
"I understand the tape has been passed around from Anchorage to Unalakleet," said Joe Alston, president of the Anchorage Sports Officials Association.
Alston said no disciplinary action would be taken against the referees, who are expected to work next week's Class 3A and 4A state tournaments in Anchorage. He said that the tape was recorded away from the basketball court and out of the public's eye, therefore the referees didn't break any rules listed in the "Code of Conduct."
"No one has been fired, and there is no reason to fire anybody," Alston said. "The contents of the tape prove that nothing was done wrong by the acting officials on the floor."
Alston said he didn't care for some of the "colorful" language used by the referees, although he said it's common for officials to decompress after a game. Alston doesn't think it's fair that last week's comments were caught on tape, saying it felt like a sucker punch because similar conversations probably occur widely in coaching circles.
Alston said referees are often depicted as "bad guys" by upset supporters when their team loses. He added that several referees have been approached by hostile fans and some have even been physically threatened.
High school basketball referees make about $35 to $45 a game, Alston said, a small fee for managing a 32-minute game as well as dealing with aggravated coaches, players and fans.
"All coaches have opinions about officials," he said. "Some of them are very crude, though maybe we don't have the luxury of having them on tape."
Catching the referees on tape happened by chance, Cyril said.
Cyril said he was only in the room used by the referees to gather his camera to videotape a different tournament game for his sister. It wasn't until he overheard "vicious" comments about Bingham that he began recording.
"Refs are allowed to blow off steam, but these (comments) were quite mean. That's what irritated me," Cyril said. "The level of what they were saying caused me to flip on the tape."
In addition to personal attacks on Bingham, the referees talk about make-up calls, how they forced South boys coach Don Brooks to sit down after giving him a technical foul, and how difficult it is to officiate girls basketball compared to boys.
"They shouldn't have trivialized the sport and what it means to the players and coaches," Cyril said. "The whole thing sat wrong with me."
Cyril was most upset about what the referees said about his sister, a highly successful coach who has helped many players achieve scholarships to major colleges. He couldn't understand why the referees took personal shots at her when they are supposed to be professionally objective.
"Even if you don't like her, you still have to admire what she does," Cyril said. "Even if you don't like her personality or the way she dresses, she gets results. She's probably produced more Division I players than any other coach in the state."
Graham, who has worked at East since 1996 and been with the Anchorage School District since 1985, said he has never had a coach file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office regarding comments made by referees.
"This is the first time we've seen something like this," Graham said. "We have very high expectations for our students, for our athletes and for our coaches. There is certainly an expectation that the referees should uphold the same standard we try to teach our kids."
Daily News reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com or 257-4335.
