A Big Ten football officiating team that came under scrutiny for its performance in two conference games last month was led by a crew chief with a history of bankruptcy, casino gambling, child abuse and allegations of sexual harassment, a Yahoo! Sports investigation has revealed.
The revelations about the Big Ten referee, Stephen Pamon, come four months after an NBA referee pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from allegations he bet on NBA games in which he officiated and provided inside information to high-stakes gamblers.
Although there is no evidence linking Pamon to gambling on games, the NBA incident rattled the sports world and cast light on the conduct of officials. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany was one of several sports executives who addressed the situation, and he detailed steps the Big Ten takes to investigate the backgrounds of its officials.
Yet despite the heightened focus on background checks and the integrity of officials, Pamon – an employee of the sheriff's department in Cook County, Ill., and a Big Ten official since 1988 – served as chief for a seven-man officiating crew this season.
When reached at his home Tuesday, Delany said, "I don't have any comment on that right now."
Public records, news reports and interviews with several people who know the longtime college football referee revealed the following:
• Pamon and his wife filed for bankruptcy in 2002 after the couple amassed $429,407 in liabilities, and two of the creditors were casinos.
• He allegedly has gambled at casinos as far back as the 1980s, and a sister-in-law said gambling losses incurred by Pamon and Pamon's wife led to the couple filing for bankruptcy.
• In 1997, he was charged with repeatedly beating three of his girlfriend's four sons with an electrical cord. He told authorities he beat the boys three times.
• He allegedly was fired by the Chicago Police Department in 1996 after two female officers accused him of sexual harassment, according to published reports that cited law-enforcement officials as sources.
• One of Pamon's former wives accused him during a court hearing in 1994 of striking her and sexually assaulting her 19-year-old niece, according to court records.
Pamon and his present wife declined to comment when contacted at their residence in a suburb outside of Chicago.
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