Parents, alumni demand reinstatement of longtime Iroquois track coach Thomas Wood; board moves to executive session

The Iroquois Central School District Board of Education on Jan. 25 heard sustained public comment calling for the reinstatement of longtime track coach Thomas (Tom) Wood after the district said he resigned earlier this week.

Speakers at the meeting described Wood as a 40–45‑year district employee, a mentor to generations of athletes, and central to the track program. A public commenter summarized the community’s claim: "He has been forced to resign Monday from his coaching duties…We demand answers. Reinstate coach Wood." That speaker identified a Change.org petition with more than 375 signatures and said some donors had contributed to boost the petition's visibility.

Several other attendees told the board they were present at a recent off‑campus meet and disputed the district’s characterization of events. A parent and graduate told the board that four mandated reporters — including district staff and a school resource officer — were within five feet of the person described as a disruptive alumnus and that no one present intervened. "If anyone saw something inappropriate, we all should have said something that day," the parent said.

Another speaker who identified himself as Joel Kuder recounted that Wood managed about 15 athletes alone at the meet and praised Wood’s character and long record of mentorship. "How is he supposed to manage what you guys are talking about?" the speaker asked, describing Wood’s duties across events.

Taryn Booker asked administrators whether a restraining order was active before the meet and whether Wood had been given training on handling a breached restraining order; she urged the board to reconsider what she called a "hasty and unwarranted decision." Ella Barber, a senior from East Aurora, said students were upset that Wood had been portrayed as leaving on his own: "For him to be dismissed in this manner is truly awful," she said.

Board members did not take a recorded public vote or issue a public directive about personnel at the end of the comment period. Instead, the board president moved to go into executive session "for a medical, financial, or employment history of any particular person or corporation or matters leading to appointment," a motion that was seconded and approved. After executive session, the board returned briefly, then voted to adjourn at 10:01 p.m.

The public speakers asked for reinstatement and for the district to provide more explanation of the process that led to Wood’s resignation. The district provided some factual context in earlier remarks (see meeting materials) but did not make a further public statement about personnel actions during the open session. The next public step identified in the meeting was the board’s return from executive session; no additional public action was recorded in the transcript.

What’s next: The transcript shows the board entered executive session on personnel matters and then adjourned. Any formal action or statement about Coach Wood that results from executive session was not reported in the open record at this meeting.