BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A Palm Beach County civil lawsuit filed this week alleges a youth football referee was violently attacked by multiple spectators during a game in the county and claims the league responsible for organizing the contest failed to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable violence.
The complaint, Tiere Goer v. Florida Elite Football & Cheerleading, Inc., was filed January 20, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida, General Jurisdiction Division, under Case No. 502026CA000711XXXAMB.
The plaintiff, Tiere Goer, is represented by Sasson Law Firm, according to the filing. The complaint names Florida Elite Football & Cheerleading, Inc., identified in the pleading as a Florida for-profit corporation, as the defendant. No defense law firm is listed in the complaint.
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000, exclusive of interest, attorney’s fees, and costs. The filing states Goer is a Florida resident over 18. The complaint alleges venue is proper in Palm Beach County because the incident described occurred within the county.
According to the complaint, the events at issue took place on Oct. 18, 2025, when Goer was officiating in his capacity as a referee during a youth football game held in Palm Beach County. The complaint alleges the game was “organized, sanctioned, supervised, and controlled” by the defendant. It further alleges the game involved two youth teams, including the “Goulds,” described in the filing as a Miami-based team, and another youth team from Boca Raton participating under the league’s authority.
The complaint alleges that during the game Goer threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, which it describes as a routine and foreseeable aspect of officiating. It then claims a parent affiliated with the Goulds team “aggressively charged” at Goer in an attempt to initiate a physical altercation. The filing alleges Goer believed he was about to suffer imminent bodily harm and attempted to defend himself using only force he believed was reasonably necessary to protect himself.
As Goer tried to protect himself, the complaint alleges he was then swarmed by multiple parents and spectators affiliated with the Goulds team who joined the confrontation, surrounded him, and attacked him. The complaint claims he was knocked to the ground, piled on, kicked and struck repeatedly, had his hair pulled, and was restrained in a way that prevented him from escaping or adequately defending himself.
The complaint alleges Goer suffered facial lacerations and other serious bodily injuries, required medical treatment, and missed work from other employment. It also claims he experienced pain, emotional distress, and trauma.
The lawsuit’s negligence count alleges the league owed a duty of reasonable care, including providing a reasonably safe environment for referees and implementing reasonable security and supervision to protect against foreseeable violent acts by spectators and parents. It alleges the defendant knew or should have known that violent confrontations were a foreseeable risk, particularly at games involving the Goulds team, and claims the league failed to take reasonable safety steps such as adequate security, crowd control, and enforcement of spectator conduct rules.
As with all civil complaints, the allegations are claims made by the plaintiff and have not been proven in court.
The original complaint, Tiere Goer v. Florida Elite Football & Cheerleading, Inc., Case No. 502026CA000711XXXAMB, as filed January 20, 2026, with the Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.
Boca Post continues to track negligence lawsuits involving commercial entities through its Lawsuits coverage.
