Referee’s Lawsuit Against Kentucky Sports Radio Dismissed

In UK's Elite Eight loss to North Carolina two years ago, referee John Higgins was generous with his whistle when it came to the Wildcats. 19 fouls were called on the Cats, including two each on four starters in the first half. The fans were naturally not happy and well, Higgins' life after the game was a little uneasy.

In October of 2017, the ref filed a lawsuit against Kentucky Sports Radio, operators Matt Jones and Drew Franklin alleging they harmed Higgins' family and his business Weatherguard by giving out Higgins' personal and business information online and on the KSR show.

Higgins also claimed he received death threats from fans and the social media pages for Weatherguard were bombarded with negative reviews and comments.

The suit, in which Higgins asked for $75,000 in damages, was dismissed in U.S. District Court Wednesday saying KSR's free speech was protected by the First Amendment.

Higgins called three straight Final Fours until last year.