A New Jersey youth baseball umpire who was attacked by a coach during a game in Branchburg, N.J. last month has filed a lawsuit against the man who punched him, according to Matthew Stanmyre of NJ Advance Media.
James Neely, the 72-year-old umpire, filed the suit against Jerry Otero, the coach of a Staten Island-based travel team, seeking damages for injuries sustained in the incident. Neely sustained a concussion and his jaw was fractured in two places, resulting in his jaw being wired shut during an original surgery.
The lawsuit also names Otero’s travel team, team president Frank Cambria, the U.S. Amateur Baseball League and 10 John Does or parents from the Staten Island team who “verbally encouraged and/or fostered the assault” as defendants, according to NJ Advance Media.
After receiving a report of an assault on an umpire, officers found Neely bleeding from his mouth at White Oak Park in Branchburg on June 4. Neely told the officers he had ejected a coach for arguing and using “foul language.” At that point, the coach, later identified as Otero, confronted the umpire and punched him in the face before fleeing the scene.
Otero, 40, was arrested on June 21 and was charged with third-degree aggravated assault and fourth-degree assault at a youth sporting event. He and his team have been banned from the U.S. Amateur Baseball League.
“Our focus has to be on the kids,” Neely said through his attorney, per NJ Advance Media. “We need to ensure that youth sports remain a place for them to learn and grow in a safe environment. I hope to be out there on the field one day soon for the kids.”
