diff --git a/hed/validator/sidecar_validator.py b/hed/validator/sidecar_validator.py
index 0a5fe8e8..42a71c64 100644
--- a/hed/validator/sidecar_validator.py
+++ b/hed/validator/sidecar_validator.py
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ def _validate_refs(self, sidecar, error_handler):
         found_column_references = {}
         for column_data in sidecar:
             column_name = column_data.column_name
+            if column_data.column_type == ColumnType.Ignore:
+                continue
             hed_strings = column_data.get_hed_strings()
             error_handler.push_error_context(ErrorContext.SIDECAR_COLUMN_NAME, column_name)
             matches = []
@@ -183,7 +185,6 @@ def _validate_refs(self, sidecar, error_handler):
             for ref in refs:
                 if ref in found_column_references and ref != column_name:
                     issues += error_handler.format_error_with_context(ColumnErrors.NESTED_COLUMN_REF, column_name, ref)
-
         return issues
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/tests/validator/test_sidecar_validator.py b/tests/validator/test_sidecar_validator.py
index db06f1e2..ca0ec748 100644
--- a/tests/validator/test_sidecar_validator.py
+++ b/tests/validator/test_sidecar_validator.py
@@ -125,6 +125,22 @@ def test_bad_pound_signs(self):
         issues = sidecar.validate(self.hed_schema)
         self.assertEqual(len(issues), 3)
 
+    def test_missing_hed(self):
+        sidecar_with_hed_missing = '''
+        {
+            "event_code": {
+                "HED": {
+                    "face": "Statistical-accuracy/0.677, {response}"
+                }
+            },
+            "response": "Label/#",
+            "other": "Description"
+        }
+    '''
+        sidecar = Sidecar(io.StringIO(sidecar_with_hed_missing))
+        issues = sidecar.validate(self.hed_schema)
+        self.assertEqual(len(issues), 1)
+
     def test_invalid_list(self):
         sidecar_json = '''
         {