Cops: Student breaks East Hampton HS official's jaw

An East Hampton High School assistant principal has a fractured jaw after a student punched him in the face "out of the blue," police and a district official said Wednesday.

The administrator, Keith Malsky, 51, had to have his jaw wired shut after the attack last week, district Superintendent Ray Gualtieri said. The student, 17, whom police have not identified, was suspended from school for five days and faces a hearing Thursday to determine if he should be suspended for longer, Gualtieri said.

The attack occurred at 10:20 a.m. Oct. 20 in a high school hallway, said East Hampton Town police Det. Lt. Chris Anderson.

The teen was charged with third-degree assault and unlawful possession of marijuana.

"I have no idea what this was about," Gualtieri said. "All I know is that the student assaulted the assistant principal by punching him in the face."

Gualtieri said to his knowledge, the student had not been suspended before.

He said Malsky has worked for the district for about a decade.

"It came out of the blue," Gualtieri said Malsky told him. "He said he didn't expect it."

He said Malsky could be out for six weeks.

"The only time I've ever heard of an administrator taking a punch, it's breaking up a fight," Gualtieri said. "It's usually not aimed at them."

Police also could not say what sparked the incident and did not know why Malsky was talking to the student.

The student was given an appearance ticket in East Hampton Town Court, police said. Arraignment details were not available Wednesday.