Head Coach, 3 Students Injured In Bergen County Basketball Brawl

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Three students and a head coach were injured in a bench-clearing brawl between two Bergen County high schools that may have sparked over racial slurs, a school superintendent said in an update issued Sunday.

In her letter, Dumont High School Superintendent Maria Poidomani also contested reports that students yelled "N-word, animals, monkeys" at Black players during a game at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood Tuesday.

"To our knowledge, no such allegations had been made to the referees officiating the game, or to any coach or school official that was present at the game that evening," " Poidomani said. "A Dwight Morrow player was interviewed by the media on Friday, which aired incomplete and at times inaccurate versions of the incident and its aftermath."

"It goes without saying that the Dumont School District takes the allegation of racial comments/slurs very seriously and will investigate the claim by speaking to Dumont players and coaching staff."

According to Dumont, the fight began when a Dwight Murrow player grabbed an opponent from Dumont and threw him to the ground.

More players jumped into the fight which ultimately left three Dumont players and the head coach injured, the superintendent said.

Several Dwight Morrow players were ejected from the game, and the team is now ineligible to participate in the playoffs, according to officials from both schools.

Dwight Morrow has canceled the rest of its season in compliance with New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association regulations, the Englewood school superintendent said Monday.

“The Dwight Morrow varsity boys basketball team has accumulated three or more player or coach disqualifications for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct," the announcement states.

"In accordance with disqualifications, the team will not be permitted to participate in the NJSIAA post-season tournament.”

The fight also spurred a use-of-force investigation of an off-duty officer who was coaching the game and tried to break up the brawl, Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said in a social media post Sunday.

The officer did not violate department rules or state policy, the mayor said.

"Regarding the conduct of our officers, those on scene acted quickly and decisively to break up the fight and protect all in attendance," Wildes wrote.

Lt. Fred Pulice said the police department's Juvenile Bureau is still investigating the matter, as of Monday.