A former Saugerties High School wrestling coach was charged last week with raping two girls aged between 15 and 16 who were on the wrestling team between 2023 and 2024. Reid Kappler pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of third-degree felony rape in Ulster County Court on Thursday, July 24.
Kappler, who is no longer employed by the district and was living in Connecticut at the time of his arrest, was according to the district attorney’s office alleged to have had repeated vaginal sexual conduct with the two girls.
“This defendant took advantage of two children who looked up to him as their coach,” said Jenna Hastings, bureau chief of the DA’s Special Victims Bureau, in a press release. “He abused the trust of the community by engaging in sexual crimes with two students. This behavior undermines the trust of the community and is never tolerated.”
Kappler pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail by Sullivan County visiting judge James Farrell.
Kappler’s employment history with the district is unclear. In addition to serving as a wrestling coach, he was also a custodian. He also wrestled at Saugerties High School, from which he graduated in 2011.
According to the DA’s office, the allegations against Kappler were revealed during the investigation into former part-time Saugerties police officer Sydney Mills, who was arrested on July 14 following an investigation and charged with multiple felony sex offenses, including rape, sexual abuse, and engaging in sexual conduct with a child. Those allegations cover several months during 2022 and are related to a single teenage girl.
The DA’s office alleges that Mills sexually abused the girl between April and November 2022, while Mills was still employed full time by the SPD. The indictment accuses Mills of engaging in both oral and vaginal sexual conduct with the girl, who was between 14 and 15 at the time.
How investigators discovered the allegations against Kappler during the Mills investigation is unclear.
On Friday, July 25, the Saugerties school board held an emergency executive session to authorize the hiring of an unnamed independent investigator at a rate of $150 per hour, and the law firm of Gurcio and Gurcio at a rate of $250 per hour, their sole task was to investigate and file an advisory report in an “employment-related matter.”
Later that day, school board president Jeffrey Riozzi issued a statement to the district community.
“While the Ulster County district attorney’s office will investigate and process the legal aspects of these incidents, it is the responsibility of the school board to investigate and evaluate what happened internally within the district,” wrote Riozzi. “The individual who will be running the process is a senior investigator from outside of Saugerties with no professional or personal ties to our school district. They come with a background as a senior criminal investigator who transitioned into focusing within schools. She has conducted numerous investigations ranging from serious sports hazing incidents to sexual harassment.”
According to Riozzi’s letter, the investigation will seek to answer a wide range of questions about the district’s own steps in following up on complaints of inappropriate behavior, to review related policies and procedures, and to deliver a comprehensive report.
“We, as a district, owe it to our students to do and be better,” wrote Riozzi. “Student safety is our utmost priority. The steps outlined above are the initial bold steps in that process. We are actively evaluating additional steps necessary to address the matter at hand.”
Two days earlier, the district released a statement co-signed by Riozzi and SCSD superintendent Daniel Erceg, sharing that they’d met with the DA’s office, the county sheriff’s office, and the Saugerties police chief. They said they would cooperate fully with law enforcement during their investigation. They also asked anyone with information to reach out to the sheriff’s crime tips hotline at 845-340-3599.
“We want to reassure our families that the safety, well-being, and trust of every student in our care remains our highest priority,” read the district’s July 23 letter. “We take all reports seriously, and any allegations of inappropriate behavior or misconduct are immediately and thoroughly investigated …. Our school community depends on mutual trust and respect. We remain committed to maintaining a safe, supportive learning environment for every student, every day.”
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