Alburgh Vt Basketball Fight

ALBURGH (WWUI) - The fight between two boys' basketball players on November 13th at Alburgh High School. A Class C opponent was suspended for games three and four of the season Friday night as a result of the altercation, in which fellow student Timothy Phillips appeared to punch Alan McEwan through the passenger window of his Volkswagen Passat car.

A group video took place Saturday morning outside Patridge Middle School that reportedly shows the dispute between the players occurred after both participants ran back inside following the first half of their game against Williston Northeast, District Director of Operations Thomas Linnon said Monday. At one point in the fight, Phillips allegedly slammed three or four times into McEwan's passenger side.

Phillips has been charged with assault second-degree and reckless use of a dangerous weapon. However, the police report does not indicate that a weapon actually was used within the classroom fight. The matter is being reviewed by the attorney general's office due to Phillips having a prior criminal history.

On January 17th, Allen had an incident of vandalism himself while on lockdown at the Ansonia High School Performing Arts Center about three hours before district leadership sent out its alert later in the day warning the district would be "taking action" following threats made several days earlier against five Northeast High students from Ansonia.

District Leadership quickly determined that such actions were unfounded and there appears no threat at this time to any students, parents or staff at Alburgh. At the same time, Superintendent Catherine Woodard told News 12 Tuesday night she hoped the case could be resolved without using the full state power.

Woodard stressed she has yet to interview the school principal nor are they making statements and what specific action if any would come from them beyond responding immediately upon receiving information from staff, in coordination with State Police.

The District sent out the warning because it had received word from district and local law enforcement regarding a possible act of violence. Woodard insisted Monday the situation did not appear on a national scale but rather a situation involving Northeast High students connected to another student from the same elementary school. There was also the immediate social factor since Williston was the last district high school in need of a new principal as Jennifer Kelly who currently handles the job next door during her maternity leave heads off to take over another family situation at Aspen Elementary this school year.