Saugerties CSD superintendent placed on leave amid investigation

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (NEWS10)– The Saugerties Central School District superintendent has been placed on administrative leave, according to the district Board of Education President Jeffrey Riozzi. On Tuesday, the board voted to place Superintendent Daniel Erceg on paid leave amid an ongoing investigation within the district.

“This decision was made to support the Board’s commitment to ensuring a fair, transparent and impartial internal investigation related to the District’s handling of and response to a serious complaint involving a former employee,” Riozzi said in the announcement.

According to Riozzi, the decision was made to ensure that leadership does not interfere with the investigation involving abuse allegations.

In July, a former custodian and Saugerties High School wrestling coach, Reid Kappler, was indicted on 18 counts of felony rape after he allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with two teens between the ages of 15 and 16 several times while working as the district’s wrestling coach.

Officials also said the case stemmed from an investigation that indicted Saugerties Police Officer Sydney Mills, of Saugerties, for alleged sex offenses against a minor that was reported to the Saugerties Police Department.

Following Kappler’s arrest, the board said the district would be investigating and evaluating what happened internally within the district and hired an external investigator.

The district said the investigation would include:

• Determine whether the steps taken to investigate complaints of inappropriate behavior on the part of a custodian/coach by district stakeholders were comprehensive and aligned to district policy, regulation and law.
• Determine whether the actions taken at the conclusion of the investigation were properly implemented, documentation was preserved, and communication was transparent with all stakeholders.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of the policies and procedures to be implemented when an allegation of misconduct is received.
• Develop a final written investigation report inclusive of all interviews, document review, summary of findings and recommendations, a public executive summary and guidance on a plan to address deficiencies.

On Tuesday, the board voted to place Erceg on leave.

“Once the Board has reviewed the findings and recommendations, decisions about next steps can be made. Until then, it would be premature to speculate,” Riozzi said. “Our goal is to complete the investigation in a careful and thorough manner that leads to a fair and appropriate outcome for our students, staff, and community, and all Board decisions are made with that intent.”

Riozzi said to maintain leadership in the district, Deputy Superintendent Gwendolyn Roraback was appointed as the district’s acting superintendent.