News 12/Newsday report: 4 Hispanic men fight MS-13 accusation

<p>Four young Hispanic men in Suffolk say they are being falsely accused of being members of MS-13.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 23, 2017, 7:25 PM

Updated 2,497 days ago

Share:

An attorney for four young Hispanic men in Suffolk say his clients are being falsely accused of being members of MS-13.
Three of the men are students at Bellport High School and have been suspended through November. He says a fourth former student was also wrongly labeled an MS-13 member by the Suffolk County Police Department.
"No one is saying that MS-13 isn't a threat. No one is saying there shouldn't be robust and aggressive tactics to go after actual gang members. The problem is we're having a spillover," says attorney Peter Brill. 
Bellport High School was recently rattled by the gang murders of two students after 18-year old Jorge Tigre and 16-year old Justin Llivicura were among four young men believed to be killed by MS-13 in a Central Islip Park.
Brill says the South Country School District officials are "overreacting" by suspending the students who he says have no criminal history and are not in a gang. He says one of the students was suspended because he wore a Chicago Bulls T-shirt to school. 
"He was told that the school had previously announced that Chicago Bulls emblems were MS-13 gang symbols and he was suspended," says Brill. He says his client was out of clean clothes and had to borrow the shirt from his father. 
He says the other students were suspended after they were caught "flipping the bird" to each other. Brill says a school administrator misidentified it as a gang symbol and brought it to the attention of the school resource officers. 
"There's a very big concern that these kids, who have done nothing wrong, are going to wind up deported because they're tarred with the same brush as actual gang members," says Brill. 
In a statement, the South Country School superintendent said, "Due to federal law, the district cannot comment on the specific students." 
The statement goes on to say "the District vigorously denies any such allegations" that it is engaging in what Brill called a "pattern of discrimination." 
A spokesman for the Suffolk police wouldn't comment on the specific criteria the department uses to label someone a gang member. He said their lists are "reviewed and refreshed regularly."


More from News 12
1:49
Human remains unearthed during drainage work in Putnam County

Human remains unearthed during drainage work in Putnam County

0:56
Sunny for the rest of the workweek ahead before possible wet weekend in Hudson Valley

Sunny for the rest of the workweek ahead before possible wet weekend in Hudson Valley

2:30
Biden campaign reports blockbuster fundraising hauls ahead of visit

Biden campaign reports blockbuster fundraising hauls ahead of visit

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

0:22
Police: 29-year-old man dies after burning incident at Warwick Park

Police: 29-year-old man dies after burning incident at Warwick Park

2:07
Westchester County preps for President Joe Biden's visit

Westchester County preps for President Joe Biden's visit

0:23
Westchester DA: Ex-Mamaroneck library employee stole over $40,000 from library

Westchester DA: Ex-Mamaroneck library employee stole over $40,000 from library

0:42
Yonkers Spano releases proposed budget for 2025

Yonkers Spano releases proposed budget for 2025

1:54
State budget excludes aid for Orange County storm victims, lawmakers criticize Gov. Hochul

State budget excludes aid for Orange County storm victims, lawmakers criticize Gov. Hochul

2:07
​Officials hope to implement noise cameras to combat loud noise from street racing in Greenburgh

​Officials hope to implement noise cameras to combat loud noise from street racing in Greenburgh

1:52
Final negotiations on Carmel schools' budget linger late into the night

Final negotiations on Carmel schools' budget linger late into the night

0:36
Police: Father pleads guilty to string of burglaries from 2022

Police: Father pleads guilty to string of burglaries from 2022

0:31
Yonkers official calls for protection of city’s war memorial from graffiti, vandalism

Yonkers official calls for protection of city’s war memorial from graffiti, vandalism

0:40
Hochul: $33 million allocated to mental health in the state budget to expand services for felons

Hochul: $33 million allocated to mental health in the state budget to expand services for felons

0:57
Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

0:28
Police officer's conduct under review following shoplifting incident at Newburgh Walmart

Police officer's conduct under review following shoplifting incident at Newburgh Walmart

0:31
Mount St. Mary College welcomes new president

Mount St. Mary College welcomes new president

Vote 2024: Ask your questions for Congressional District 16 Democratic candidates

Vote 2024: Ask your questions for Congressional District 16 Democratic candidates

0:41
Fire destroys car, damages garage in Rhinebeck

Fire destroys car, damages garage in Rhinebeck

1:49
Proposal for Putnam County lithium-ion battery storage station raises concerns in Westchester

Proposal for Putnam County lithium-ion battery storage station raises concerns in Westchester