A New Jersey high school has canceled the rest of its boys varsity basketball season after video showed an on-court brawl in which a coach on the opposing team suffered an injury, according to district officials.
The decision to end the season for Dwight Morrow High School's team came after the squad got into a fight during a matchup against Dumont High School, Englewood Public School District Acting Superintendent Jennifer Sifuentes said in a statement on Wednesday.
The video shows one of the players for Dwight Morrow toss an opposing player out of bounds as the pair battled for a rebound. The camera pans away for a few seconds, which is when the scuffle allegedly began. Immediately after, players and coaches from both teams run toward the two fighting players and crowd around them.
Referees and even people from the stands appeared to run into the throng of bodies, some looking to separate the participants.
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Sifuentes said in her statement that district staff and police officers "immediately took action to diffuse the situation."
The game was stopped and never resumed. A father of one Dumont High School player, who also serves as a coach for the team, ended up in the hospital with a concussion and an eye injury, according to another parent of a Dumont student.
Not only were both the varsity and junior varsity seasons canceled for the school, but no fans will be allowed to attend any winter sports events held at the high school, Sifuentes said. Instead – they’re going to have to watch the games online. Dwight Morrow is also banned from playing in the state tournament, as per rules from the body that oversees high school sports in the state.
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It was not immediately clear if any criminal charges would be filed as a result of the brawl.
Dumont High School has not canceled their basketball season. In a letter sent to families, the superintendent says the district is investigating and that their primary concern is the safety of their students. But students at Dwight Morrow are crying foul.
"We feel like Dumont should not be able to play any more games because we got suspended from states and our season got suspended, so they should get the same treatment as well," Kerron Pitts, who plays on the Dwight Murrow High School basketball team, said. "It really sucks and it really hurts as a team and a group...because we worked hard this year."
His father, Keith Pitts, echoed that sentiment.
"I'm very angry that his season is over," said Pitts. "Felt like their season was a waste, it was just unfair with how things were handled...it should go both ways."
The incident is being investigated by police, as well as the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and Englewood School District's security.
"NJSIAA is aware of the situation and based on NJSIAA rules Dwight-Morrow will not be permitted to participate in the State Tournament. Currently the conference is investigating and NJSIAA awaits their report," the association said in a statement.
The other team involved, Dumont High School, is also investigating the incident, Dumont Public Schools Superintendent Maria A. Poidomani said.
