Parents and teachers demand accountability as Mineola board investigation continues into BYOG/Quave
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Summary
At a Nov. 11 Mineola UFSD board meeting, dozens of parents and staff urged the board to act after concerns about the Build‑Your‑Own‑Grade (BYOG) program and a digital platform, Quave. Speakers alleged conflict‑of‑interest and data‑privacy problems and called for the superintendent to step aside while an independent investigation proceeds.
Parents, teachers and residents pressed the Mineola Union Free School District Board of Education on Nov. 11 over the district’s now‑suspended Build‑Your‑Own‑Grade program (BYOG) and an associated digital platform known in the public record as Quave, demanding more transparency, answers about data access, and accountability from the superintendent.
"Until the investigation is complete, Dr. Nagler should not be leading this district," said Suzanne Iaposi, a Mineola parent, at the meeting’s public‑comment period. "Trust cannot be rebuilt while Dr. Nagler remains in charge during an active investigation." Iaposi and multiple other speakers alleged that the superintendent’s son or a related LLC had a role in developing the platform used in classrooms; those assertions were presented as allegations by public commenters and remain under investigation.
Caroline Sweeney, who said she does not have children in the district but is a long‑time taxpayer, told the board that Dr. Nagler "very likely violated conflict of interest when he established an LLC to develop EdTech with his son." Christine Bopper, a fourth‑grade parent and educator, described finding Quave publicly online and asked when the board first learned the platform was being used in district classrooms.
Board President Cheryl Lampasona told the room the board had "acted immediately by engaging independent legal counsel to conduct a thorough and formal investigation" and asked for patience while interviews continue over the next two weeks. Lampasona reiterated that the district is complying with appropriate information requests but asked the public to allow due process to unfold before additional steps are taken.
Several speakers framed their concern around student harm and lost trust. "The students cried in frustration," Iaposi said; other commenters said children came home upset and anxious about grading and implementation. Multiple public speakers asked that any findings about possible board or administrative failures be released in full once the investigation concludes.
Not all comments were identical in focus: some parents and teachers stressed broader academic concerns—classroom behavior, supports for struggling learners, and course offerings at the high school—and urged the board to prioritize systemic changes alongside any personnel decisions.
Formal board action taken in the meeting included routine items: Resolution 48 (the consensus agenda) passed on a voice vote after a motion, and Resolution 49, a walk‑on item authorizing approval of an agreement and general release concerning a non‑instructional employee, also passed. President Lampasona noted Resolution 49 related to a private matter and said a private conversation could follow.
The investigation into BYOG/Quave remains active and the board has said its findings will guide next steps. Public speakers repeatedly urged broader disclosure about how the program was approved and what safeguards existed for student data and privacy; those questions were not resolved during the meeting and will remain part of the ongoing inquiry.
