Marc Goddard is one of the most well-respected referees in the sport of mixed martial arts. The long-time UFC referee recently shared his reaction to a viral video of a classroom altercation between a teacher and a student.
In the video, which took place at Maywood Academy High School in 2018, the student can be seen repeatedly insulting and threatening the teacher. While the teacher initially appears to keep his cool, he begins to warn the student that he should leave the classroom and go to the office. Eventually, he begins to swing at the student, knocking him down several times in the process before the two are broken up.
Goddard shared the video to his Twitter account, stating:
“Hows that saying go? The more you fuck around ……When I was a kid, if I’d DARED spoken to a teacher like that I’d be more worried about the beating I’d get at home. This is a parental problem, & a broken “non consequence” society issue.”
While he added that he did not agree with the actions of the teacher in subsequent tweets, Goddard disagreed with one commenter who attributed the student’s behavior to growing up in a single-parent household, as he stated:
“I was raised in a single parent home, and trust me I’d not DARED talk to even an adult like that let alone a teacher. As I say, we live in (much) different times.”
The student was reportedly angered after refusing to go to the office due to a dress code violation. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. The teacher, 64-year-old Marston Riley, was arrested on child abuse charges which were later dropped by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. A GoFundMe campaign designed to help Riley cover any legal expenses raised almost $200,000.
Check out Marc Goddard’s tweets below:
Marc Goddard discusses how he stays prepared as a UFC referee
Marc Goddard was named Referee of the Year at the 14th Annual World MMA Awards.
While speaking to Cageside Press on the red carpet for the event, the veteran UFC referee shared how he prepares for the job:
“When I’m not reffing fights, I’m probably watching fights. When I’m not watching fights, I could be judging fights. I could be looking at things that I’ve done before, looking at whole fights. When you’ve been doing it for so long, you’re married to this game, you’re immersed in it.”
Goddard is widely regarded as one of the best referees in mixed martial arts. He has been a referee with the UFC for nearly 15 years since making his promotional debut in 2008.
Watch Marc Goddard discuss the preparations that go into being a UFC referee below:
