Hanover Area School District hears public outcry over two coaching terminations; board approves personnel and financial items
October 15, 2025 | Hanover Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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The Hanover Area School District Board of Education approved multiple financial and personnel recommendations at its Oct. 14 regular meeting and heard sustained public comment criticizing the district’s recent termination of two junior-high football coaches.
Members of the public told the board they were upset about the firing of coaches Dakota Rubinstein and Landon Rubinstein after an Oct. 7 game at Crispin Field in Berwick. Speakers said the terminations followed an on-field dispute involving Hanover junior-high head coach Jared Jones and that the district relied on a PIAA report when deciding to remove the coaches.
Brooke McHenry, who said she attended the Oct. 7 game, told the board that after a play-call dispute “the two parties engaged in a heated argument until the referee threw a flag and ejected Landon Rubinstein.” McHenry said the next day athletic director Ron Hummer and varsity head coach Eric Richardson told Dakota and Landon Rubinstein they would be terminated based on a PIAA report and that the coaches were not allowed to appeal. “When the report is blatantly fabricated, the allegations in the report are ultimately defaming their character,” McHenry said.
Other public commenters described the coaches as positive influences on players. Student speaker Hunter Miller said the coaches “brought it back” for players and “build confidence, teamwork, and heart.” Parent Jay Emmert said his son “absolutely loves them” and accused coach Jones of being unfair to players; Erin Bezdekki, another commenter, said coaches Dakota and Landon “are very nice people” and urged the district to consider their dedication. Larry Casey asked when the community would be told more about the terminations. Superintendent Barrett replied that personnel matters are confidential and said, “this is a personnel issue right now, so nobody’s gonna be able—you could state your case, but no one will respond to this at this point only because it’s a personnel issue.”
Board members arranged to convene the athletic committee for further review. During the meeting, a board member identified as the athletic committee chair (Missus Bleich) called a committee meeting for the week following the Oct. 14 meeting; the board president said the committee would provide a report afterward.
On formal business, the board approved minutes and multiple consent packages. Financial recommendations numbered 1–14 were approved by roll call; the record shows at least two abstentions on individual checks (check numbers noted in the roll call as 43568 and 43576). Item 15 under financial recommendations—"Motion to approve settlement of the Centimeters Regent Insurance Company litigation, conditioned upon court approval and execution of the necessary documents"—was approved by roll call. Personnel items 1–16 were approved, item 17 (appointment of Amy Bosch as director of human resources and administrative services at a salary of $70,000, an Act 93 position) was approved, item 18 (appointment of Lisette Tapia as multilingual services district coordinator at a salary of $56,550, Act 93 position) was approved, item 19 on the personnel agenda was tabled, and item 20 (appoint Bart Macchicinis as a school police officer at $35 per hour pending completion of pre-employment requirements) was approved.
Votes taken at the meeting as recorded in the transcript included roll-call approvals with individual members recorded as voting yes or abstaining on specific checks and items; where the transcript lists roll-call names, the minutes showed motions carried. The board announced that the November work session and November regular meeting would take place on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.
The public-comment speakers requested greater transparency about the investigation and the decision-making process in the athletic department. The board’s immediate next step was to convene the athletic committee to review the matter and report back to the full board; no formal reversal or appeal process for the terminations was recorded at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Details recorded in the meeting minutes and in public comment will be available in the district’s official minutes when posted; the athletic committee meeting called by the board is expected to provide additional information to the board and the public.
Members of the public told the board they were upset about the firing of coaches Dakota Rubinstein and Landon Rubinstein after an Oct. 7 game at Crispin Field in Berwick. Speakers said the terminations followed an on-field dispute involving Hanover junior-high head coach Jared Jones and that the district relied on a PIAA report when deciding to remove the coaches.
Brooke McHenry, who said she attended the Oct. 7 game, told the board that after a play-call dispute “the two parties engaged in a heated argument until the referee threw a flag and ejected Landon Rubinstein.” McHenry said the next day athletic director Ron Hummer and varsity head coach Eric Richardson told Dakota and Landon Rubinstein they would be terminated based on a PIAA report and that the coaches were not allowed to appeal. “When the report is blatantly fabricated, the allegations in the report are ultimately defaming their character,” McHenry said.
Other public commenters described the coaches as positive influences on players. Student speaker Hunter Miller said the coaches “brought it back” for players and “build confidence, teamwork, and heart.” Parent Jay Emmert said his son “absolutely loves them” and accused coach Jones of being unfair to players; Erin Bezdekki, another commenter, said coaches Dakota and Landon “are very nice people” and urged the district to consider their dedication. Larry Casey asked when the community would be told more about the terminations. Superintendent Barrett replied that personnel matters are confidential and said, “this is a personnel issue right now, so nobody’s gonna be able—you could state your case, but no one will respond to this at this point only because it’s a personnel issue.”
Board members arranged to convene the athletic committee for further review. During the meeting, a board member identified as the athletic committee chair (Missus Bleich) called a committee meeting for the week following the Oct. 14 meeting; the board president said the committee would provide a report afterward.
On formal business, the board approved minutes and multiple consent packages. Financial recommendations numbered 1–14 were approved by roll call; the record shows at least two abstentions on individual checks (check numbers noted in the roll call as 43568 and 43576). Item 15 under financial recommendations—"Motion to approve settlement of the Centimeters Regent Insurance Company litigation, conditioned upon court approval and execution of the necessary documents"—was approved by roll call. Personnel items 1–16 were approved, item 17 (appointment of Amy Bosch as director of human resources and administrative services at a salary of $70,000, an Act 93 position) was approved, item 18 (appointment of Lisette Tapia as multilingual services district coordinator at a salary of $56,550, Act 93 position) was approved, item 19 on the personnel agenda was tabled, and item 20 (appoint Bart Macchicinis as a school police officer at $35 per hour pending completion of pre-employment requirements) was approved.
Votes taken at the meeting as recorded in the transcript included roll-call approvals with individual members recorded as voting yes or abstaining on specific checks and items; where the transcript lists roll-call names, the minutes showed motions carried. The board announced that the November work session and November regular meeting would take place on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.
The public-comment speakers requested greater transparency about the investigation and the decision-making process in the athletic department. The board’s immediate next step was to convene the athletic committee to review the matter and report back to the full board; no formal reversal or appeal process for the terminations was recorded at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Details recorded in the meeting minutes and in public comment will be available in the district’s official minutes when posted; the athletic committee meeting called by the board is expected to provide additional information to the board and the public.
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