Hey Wolfman....

[Diego in Seattle]

Was the referee a racist or just really bad at doing his job?

[Wolfman]

Not sure about officiating protocols in volleyball. Control of fan behavior is usually the job of the home team's athletic director or their representative, could be the coach. I've had a couple incidents where I thought a fan was getting abusive, not racist. I brought it to the attention of the home coach and they took care of it. Once I was accosted by a fan (a disgruntled parent I think) as I was going to my car after a softball game. I called the school AD and they banned him from their games. After football games our crew typically had to walk through crowds to get to the locker room. I was always on the alert for someone who might try to do any of us bodily harm. Maybe being a fairly big guy might have discouraged that from happening.
Sport's officials often have a target on their backs. I guess there will always be assholes who act up.