Update: Supt. Speaks about Monday's LHS Classroom Fight

A superintendent hearing is set for next week for the senior who was arrested on Monday for purportedly attacking a junior who suffered a broken jaw and was sent to the hospital.

That's according to Superintendent Richard Nathan who spoke with Lindenhurst Patch on Friday morning.

He said the LHS senior - who Suffolk Police identified as 17-year-old John Magalios and charged with assault in the third degree with intent to cause physical injury - was given a five-day, out-of-school suspension immediately following the incident.

The family of the LHS junior, Christopher Meyer, according to Nathan, decided to also press criminal charges. Meyer's parents told News 12 Long Island that the suspension and hearing weren't enough.

However, according to the Nathan, a five-day, is the maximum penalty the district could impose, pending a superintendent hearing.

"What people have to understand is the most a high school, an administration could do is give a five-day suspension out of school," he told Patch. "If we feel more time is warranted, then we schedule a hearing."

And in this case the district's protocol to schedule a hearing was followed.

"The principal would be the one who would recommend a hearing be set. Then we would set a hearing where our attorney would be present, as well as an attorney representing the student who'd be the subject of the hearing," Nathan explained.

(Clarification by the school district: The only attorneys present would be the district's attorney, who'll be presenting the facts and the charges, and the student who's having the hearing may have an attorney present.)

He couldn't speak to the specifics of this particular incident or the upcoming hearing, but he did say incidents involving weapons, drug trafficking or violent, agressive behavior in the school would prompt a hearing to be set.

He also said there are other penalties - such as extending an out-of-school suspension or something called "permanently out of school" in extremely severe cases - that could be imposed should the student going before the superintendent at the hearing be found guilty.

Only then would additional penalties be considered and imposed.

"Being that it's a superintendent hearing and I'm the superintendent, I've really kept out of this so I could have an open mind for the hearing," Nathan said.

This superintendent hearing, as with all of them, will look at what happened and how it happened, and whether or not the student in question is guilty or not.

The superintendent also said the whole process was explained to the victim's parents.

However, in addition to pressing criminal charges, the family took their story to the media, worried about the safety of their son who was admitted to a nearby hospital where he received one surgery so far, according to the News 12 online report.

Meyer's parents told News 12 they were "concerned about their teen's safety when he returns to school. They say the principal told them he could provide a security guard to shadow their son."

Nathan told Patch that what should've been said was that this was going to held over for a superintendent hearing and that "we'll guarantee the safety of your son."

The safety of students, and faculty, remains top priority for the district, according to the superintendent, who added that there've been other fights and situations between students.

"But not always as severe as this," he said.

As for reports that this fight was over comments and name-calling on Facebook, Nathan again couldn't speak to the specifics, but did have some advice for parents concerned over what might be happening with their children on social media outlets.

"My message to parents is to either get off Facebook, or make sure you become a friend or have access to able to monitor your children's activities online," Nathan said. "That was the point of Face-It Week."

It was a week-long district program where students and staff hosted various events focusing on issues such as cyberbullying, and 21st-century teaching, learning and technology.

Editor's Note: This is a developing story, so check back with Lindenhurst Patch for updates. Read the original story and earlier update .