Palmyra meeting erupts as community demands answers after solicitor—inds violations in wrestling program

Palmyra Area School District — May 14, 2026

The Palmyra Area School District's May 14 board meeting turned into a sustained public outcry after Superintendent Dr. Kepler read a statement saying a solicitor-conducted investigation of the district's wrestling program "identified multiple policy violations and safety related concerns." The superintendent said administrators had been directed to seek additional candidates for the high-school head coaching position and described a miscommunication about whether assistant coaches would be included on the evening's agenda.

"An investigation was conducted by our solicitor," Dr. Kepler said in a prepared statement, "and that investigation identified multiple policy violations and safety related concerns that occurred within the wrestling program." He added the board had not threatened his contract and apologized for the earlier miscommunication about which coach renewals would be listed on the agenda.

The statement and a subsequent motion to amend the agenda to add coach renewals prompted more than three hours of public comment. Hundreds of community members, parents, athletes and alumni filled the auditorium and addressed the board in a series of five-minute remarks.

"If anyone is now trying to push these coaches out, it is not because our coaches failed," said Corey Plow, a former Palmyra wrestler and coach, arguing that coaches had led the team to historic success and that the community deserved a public explanation. "Why would the coaches who just delivered this level of success be pushed out now?"

Nate Block, who identified himself as an assistant middle-school coach this season, said he was "disappointed and confused" by the administration's decision not to renew contracts and asked the board for transparency and clarity for families.

Several commenters asked that board member Corey Andrew recuse himself from discussions involving the wrestling program, saying his child had been involved in a related disciplinary incident. Multiple speakers directly urged the board to bring coach renewals to an immediate public vote and to disclose the solicitor's findings; others said the investigation's personnel and attorney-client designations limited what could be released publicly.

At least one former coach, Jonathan Reggitts, addressed the board and urged members to set politics aside. "I'm fighting for the kids I love," Reggitts said. "Don't let politics destroy the field."

Procedurally, the board heard motions to amend the agenda to add specified middle-school paid coaches (lead coach listed at $5,875, assistants at $2,355 each and named volunteers) and later faced requests to include the full list of high-school coaches. The transcript records calls for roll-call votes so community members "know where every board member stands." During the meeting a roll-call sequence recorded votes (announced at one point as a 5-3 result) while shortly afterward the president stated that no addition would be made to the agenda; the meeting transcript contains both announcements and therefore is ambiguous about the final procedural disposition of that specific agenda item.

The clash over the coaching renewals was the dominant event of the night, but speakers also tied the dispute to broader concerns about governance and transparency. Some warned of legal and reputational risks if the district did not carefully document personnel decisions; others said the board's choice would influence upcoming elections.

What happens next: the superintendent said he would not object to releasing the solicitor's findings to the board but also recommended consulting the solicitor first; the community pressed for clarity and a public vote on the coach renewals. The board proceeded to other business later in the meeting, including budget and staffing items, but the wrestling controversy dominated public attention and prompted several board members to say they would withhold support for staffing items until the coaching matter was resolved.