By:Nick Buglione
The deal was revealed just last week, after an April 22 Herald article noted that Joseph Barracato, one of the four teens charged, was expected to return to the varsity baseball team, even though Superintendent Dr. Robert Dillon had suspended the teenagers' after-school privileges in February.
"The suspension of after-school privileges of the four young people was put in place to June 1," said Leon Campo, East Meadow School District assistant superintendent. "That was the original arrangement, pending other things surfacing."
The students were on their best behavior after the punishment was handed down, however, and Clarke High School Principal Vincent Cirello proposed that the "balance of the penalty be commuted and changed to community service for the school," Campo said.
"The goal is for these students to learn from what happened and grow," Campo said. "We really feel that the young people showed a great attitude during this penalty phase."
The assistant superintendent would not elaborate on what work the students would be doing around the school, but said that some of it was very "labor intensive."
Although the deal was offered to all four students -- Barracato, 18, Daniel Dunphy, 17, Rocco Tenebruso, 17, and Alexander Guy, 16 -- not all accepted, and the original penalty remains in place for those who did not, Campo said.
While it's clear that Barracato accepted the offer, Campo would not confirm whether one or two of the others did as well. He would only say "more than one" agreed. Some parents who live in the surrounding community, however, believe all four have complied.
News of the deal angered William Tuthill, whose son William, 17, was assaulted with his friend David Bevilacqua, 18, on Jan. 18 while waiting for a ride home at Washington Avenue and Lindy Road in Salisbury.
"We were told by Robert Dillon and Campo that these kids were not going to be able to play sports until June 1," Tuthill said. "If you said this is what the punishment is, that's what the punishment is."
The father was also concerned that the district didn't inform him that it was modifying the punishment. He said that he found out only when he read Barracato's name in the Herald's article on Clarke varsity baseball last week. "Now they need [these athletes] back on the teams, so they're putting them back in," Tuthill said. "What, are we going to put the Mepham kids back on the football field?"
With his son still suffering from the lingering physical and emotional effects of the attack, Tuthill said William's senior year has been ruined. "His whole demeanor has totally changed, and this is another kick in the stomach," he said.
Believing that the district's punishment was too harsh in the first place, Mike Barracato is pleased that his son can take part in extracurricular activities again. "He's happy," he said. "We figured it'd be best to leave it as is."
Barracato also said that his son, who is to attend Pace University on a scholarship in the fall, has been unfairly targeted since his arrest. He charged that residents have informed the university of the incident, hoping the administration would rescind the scholarship. Tuthill denied any involvement.
Since the attack didn't take place on school grounds or under school purview, Barracato's father also wasn't sure why the district got involved in the first place. "I'm not happy with how that decision came about," he said.
The district justified its involvement by saying that athletes are required to sign a code of conduct dictating behavior on and off the field. There was also speculation that a rivalry between East Meadow and Clarke high schools sparked the incident.
Dunphy, Tenebruso and Barracato are co-captains of the Clarke varsity football team, and Tuthill's son was wearing his East Meadow Jets football jacket on the night of the attack. The superintendent's inquiry, however, concluded that that wasn't what motivated the attack.
Each hit with two counts of third-degree assault, the four Clarke teenagers still face criminal charges, and were due back in court May 4, said Nassau County district attorney spokesman Rick Hinshaw.
Third-degree assault is an Class A misdemeanor that carries a potential penalty of a year in prison or a $1,000 fine.
