BANGOR – The Bangor High School athletic director has been relieved of some of his duties pending a school department investigation into an altercation after Wednesday night’s basketball game during which a student claimed he was assaulted by the school official.

Bangor School Superintendent Robert Ervin said Thursday that athletic director Steve Vanidestine would not be involved in school athletic events until the investigation was concluded and the situation resolved. Vanidestine has been the school’s athletic director for 22 years.

“He’s been relieved of the athletic duties that are related to these various games,” Ervin said. The superintendent has asked that high school principal Norris Nickerson and other school administrators take over Vanidestine’s supervisory responsibilities at the games.

The Bangor Police Department also is investigating Wednesday’s incident at Red Barry Gymnasium, but Detective Sgt. Paul Kenison would say little Thursday other than that an 18-year-old alleged that he had been assaulted at the end of the game between Bangor and Brewer high schools.

Contacted at home, Bangor High School senior Dave Brookings, 18, acknowledged that he had gone to police with a complaint involving Vanidestine.

Brookings said he and a group of students decided to congratulate the Bangor High team after its win over rival Brewer High.

“I was just a fan cheering on my team, and I was excited about the win,” he said Thursday afternoon.

Brookings and a group of friends decided to go down and greet the team. He said he got about eight feet onto the court when he was stopped by Vanidestine.

Brookings declined to say what happened next, except that “what happened last night was not right, by any person.”

Reached at his home Thursday afternoon, Vanidestine declined to comment on what happened.

Ervin was not at the basketball game and was cautious with his comments, citing a need to have the investigation remain impartial and thorough. But he said it appeared that a group of students surged onto the floor and “Mr. Vanidestine tried to restrain them from joining the teams.”

The school department’s investigation will be headed by Assistant Superintendent Betsy Webb, although ultimately it will be Ervin who will decide the case.

“For me, the question is what happened, the severity and what administratively needs to be done,” Ervin said.

Ervin said the incident comes at a time when a lot is going on in high school sports. The basketball tournaments start today and state swimming and track championships are coming up, all involving teams from Bangor High.

“This is a very important time athletically for the high school,” Ervin said.

Vanidestine is a 1970 graduate of Bangor High where he played football and baseball. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He has a master’s degree in sports physiology and a certificate of advanced study in secondary administration.

Both the police and the superintendent’s office still are looking to identify witnesses who can provide details about what happened Wednesday night.

Kenison said that anyone with information can contact him or Detective Tim Cotton at 947-7384.