A youth basketball game on Staten Island spiraled into chaos last month, and the fallout is now prompting sweeping changes.
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Video from a Dec. 20 sixth-grade boys game at St. Teresa in Castleton Corners shows multiple parents erupting into a violent courtside fight during a matchup against Saint Clare, according to a report from SILive.
The game was operated under the umbrella of the Catholic Youth Organization, which oversees parish-based athletics in the area.
Footage initially shows two mothers engaged in a heated verbal exchange before one shoved the other. That moment set off a flurry of punches as the two grabbed at each other's hair while continuing to swing. Other parents, spectators, and school staff rushed in to try to break it up, but the situation only escalated.
SILive/YouTube
Video shows a second fight breaking out nearby before the original pair reengaged amid the confusion.
According to CYO County Director Michael Neely, the altercation involved two families, including relatives who joined the fray. All parties involved have been suspended indefinitely from attending CYO events.
"Two families got involved and, in the end, their families have been banned from CYO indefinitely," Neely said.
SILive/YouTube
The incident has led to a policy shift. On Tuesday, CYO officials and Vito Fossella announced new rules aimed at curbing spectator misconduct. Any fan ejected by a referee for disruptive behavior will now receive a one-year ban from CYO games.
"The mission was about the kids," Fossella said. "The kids are the center of this universe here. And every once in a while some spectators get out of control and ruin it for everybody else."
