The Freehold Regional High School District has requested that two referees involved in a February fight with Howell hockey parents no longer officiate the games of its member schools, according to ...
The Freehold Regional High School District has requested that two referees involved in a February fight with Howell hockey parents no longer officiate the games of its member schools, according to one of the refs involved.
Dave Brown told NJ Advance Media that both he and Sal Bianco – his officiating partner for the Feb. 7 game between Howell and Manalapan, after which the referees say they were "assaulted" by a pair of Howell parents – have been barred from officiating FRHSD games.
The Freehold Regional High School District encompasses six Shore Conference schools – Howell, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township and Marlboro.
A message left with the school district's communications office was not returned.
According to NJSIAA Assistant Director Jack DuBois, schools and districts have the right to request that certain officials not be assigned to their home games. Those requests are made through conference referee assignors, not the NJSIAA.
"I think that's what has transpired here at Freehold Regional," DuBois said.
Messages left for the Shore Conference's referee assignor and another conference official were not returned.
Howell police did not file charges against the referees or the two parents involved – Robert Dovenero and Anthony Gallichio – after investigating the incident in February. While both sides filed complaints and counter-complainst in municipal court, those charges were all dropped and dismissed following an April mediation session.
In late July, Dovenero filed a lawsuit against Brown for the injuries he sustained during the fight. Brown's lawyer pledged to file a counter-complaint and sought to have the suit dismissed.
Matt Stypulkoski may be reached at mstypulkoski@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @M_Stypulkoski. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.