Peekskill Students, Parents Brawl at Basketball Game, Officials React

PEEKSKILL, NY — Students and parents from Peekskill finished off the girls basketball season with a brawl on the gym floor at Tappan Zee High School in Orangetown.

The district's coaches and administrators are now looking into the incident and what led to it, said schools Superintendent David Fine, to determine what actions to take.

Reporter Mike Zacchio from The Journal News tweeted as the fight began, saying there were three Peekskill players fighting with each other and parents going after the players. The Tappan Zee coach wasn't altogether surprised, Zacchio reported, because one of the Peekskill parents had been verbally abusive throughout the game.

Zacchio got it on video. See it and his complete article on lohud.com.

Dr. David Fine, superintendent of Peekskill schools, issued this statement:

I am saddened by the unfortunate incident involving our players that occurred at Saturday evening’s basketball game at Tappan Zee High School. On behalf of our school district, I can tell you this behavior does not in any way represent our school system, students or community, and that such actions will not be tolerated by our District. The safety and security of our players and fans is paramount, and we are thankful that the situation was diffused and that local staff and police were able to step in and handle the matter.

Our coaches and district administration are currently in communication regarding the examination of the facts leading up to this incident and once this investigation is complete, we will respond firmly, swiftly and fairly. It is disappointing that our girls’ successful season will be overshadowed by this incident.

The players who were not involved deserve more than that. Across the board, our student athletes are admirable players that embody the ideals of good sportsmanship, and I hope others will not take the actions of a few to define us as a whole.

PHOTO: Lady Red Devils Feb. 16 after their win over Nanuet, via Facebook