Teen Assaulted at Friday Night Dance, Police Say

The dance designed to keep kids safe and provide an outlet to avoid trouble turned just the opposite for one village teen on Friday night, when police said the 16-year-old was assaulted at Van Neste Square.

Chief John Ward confirmed a 16-year-old boy was assaulted during the 'Neon Safari' dance, an event put on by the Ridgewood Junior Guild in the spirit of having safe and substance-free weekend events.

"We do have persons of interest in the case," the chief said in an interview with Patch early Monday afternoon.

More details were not provided, as the investigation is ongoing. The victim was treated at Valley Hospital for injuries, Ward said. Police received a call at 10:00 p.m.

Tony Damiano, the president of the Ridgewood Guild, which helped develop the new student organization, said that about 900 teens attended the Friday night dance, the last Junior Guild event of the summer.

Four police officers and 20 chaperons monitored the event, he said. Damiano stated he was hesitant to hold the event in the first place, knowing the risk.

"It's no secret that there's a problem with teenage drinking," he said. Two students were sent to the hospital for intoxication in the fall during an RHS High School dance. Police could not comment on whether the alleged assault on Friday night involved alcohol, as they are still investigating what may have transpired.

"At first I was hesitant to run an event like this because it's a huge responsibility, but we had the police protection and they were terrific. We went into this knowing that of 900 kids, if 897 of them were thankful and had a great time, why not try something like this?" Damiano asked.

Unfortunately, the organizer remarked, despite vigilance in searching purses, backpacks, and confiscating water bottles, "a couple of the kids were drinking."

But, he said, because of the setting, it maybe have been a lucky break this happened at Van Neste, if it had to happen at all.

"We [organizers] were all in agreement that we may have saved a life or two. If this had happened in someone's home, kids being kids [they] might have said, 'Let them sleep it off, we're not going to call the cops.'"

"But we were right on it," he said. "It was addressed immediately."

Damiano said he doesn't expect the alleged assault to taint the overall success of the event or lead to apprehension among parents.

Multiple witnesses told Patch that the Ridgewood teen was assaulted by at least one other village teen (who reportedly attends Ridgewood High School), and there had been brewing animosity between the parties involved in the alleged assault.

Dr. Daniel Fishbein, Superintendent of Schools, did not comment on the alleged fight.

"The student incident on Friday night is a police matter," he said.