Eastport South Manor community divided as parents, alumni and students debate coach conduct

At the July 9 meeting of the Eastport South Manor Central School District Board of Education, more than a dozen residents testified during the public comment period about allegations of bullying and mistreatment by a long‑time girls‑sports coach, while other speakers urged the board to preserve the coach’s position because of a decades‑long record of competitive success and student outcomes.

Peter McGuire, a parent of a current ESM High School student, said the board had made a “courageous decision to remove the lacrosse coaching staff” and urged the board to protect student athletes. “Coaches are educators and should be held to the same standards as teachers,” McGuire said, recounting complaints that included mocking students with IEPs, excluding players from team activities and berating athletes.

Other speakers described different experiences. Ron Massara, a longtime Manorville resident and…