ANACONDA — Video of an assault by a parent who assaulted a Butte referee in December 2025 has been released.
In the video (courtesy of Bill Foley), Shawn Wetzel can be seen trying to fend off Cassie Congdon during the annual Santa Slammer tournament in Anaconda.
Congdon pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in Deer Lodge County Justice Court on Sept. 10, 2026. Earlier this year, Kalispell Public Schools accepted the resignation of Congdon, who was the Flathead High School girls soccer head coach. This came after an internal investigation by the school regarding the incident in a youth basketball tournament
Wetzel, son of late Montana basketball legend Don Wetzel, said Congdon hit and attempted to kick him before spitting on him.
"She hops the rail and swings at me, and so I just put my hand out and kind of just put it on her head to keep her at bay, and that's when all hell broke loose. God, it was wild," Wetzel said.
She just kept hitting, swinging; she took a few swings there. She tried kicking me a few times, and when she swung, tried kicking, and missed. She kinda lost her balance, but when she spit on me... that was the worst part," Wetzel said.
Using his 6-foot-8 height and long arms, Wetzel was able to distance himself from the attacker. He wiped the spit off with his sleeve and returned to the court to finish officiating the game.
Wetzel's life has revolved around basketball since childhood. His father, Don Wetzel, was a Montana basketball legend and Blackfeet Nation member who cofounded the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. Shawn has spent his life playing, coaching, and refereeing basketball. He said he has never experienced anything like the December incident.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MEAGAN THOMPSON, MTN NEWS
