Columbus Crew have dismissed their reserve team coach Federico Higuain following an incident with a female referee during an MLS Next Pro match. The club determined that Higuain's behaviour fell short of the standards expected from a leader, after he made sexist remarks and physically intimidated an official. This dismissal highlights ongoing concerns within professional football regarding the treatment and respect afforded to female officials and staff.

Higuain was initially sent off and suspended for two matches after squeezing the referee's hand and refusing to let go when instructed to stop, whilst making a demeaning sexist remark stating "don't forget this is a man's game." In response to the dismissal, the Professional Soccer Referees Association criticised the league's initial two-match suspension as falling "drastically short", characterising the incident as deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism that undermined female officials' right to a safe working environment.