
The Saugerties Central School District is two weeks away from welcoming students back to class, but following allegations of rape made against a former SHS wrestling coach, district officials are taking extra steps to assure the public that they’re handling the matter seriously.
On July 24, former Lady Sawyers wrestling coach and custodian Reid Kappler pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of third-degree felony rape of two girls between the ages of 15 and 16 between 2023 and 2024. Kappler, a 2011 SHS graduate, was no longer employed by the district and was living in Connecticut at the time of his arrest. According to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, Kappler was alleged to have had repeated vaginal sexual conduct with the two girls.
The allegations against Kappler were revealed last month in the midst of summer break, with the district offering a week of support services in late July and early August. But with students returning to school in early September for the 2025–26 school year, district officials assured the community that they are there for them.
During a meeting of the Board of Education held on Tuesday, Aug. 12, District Superintendent Daniel Erceg said that in addition to the district working with law enforcement on the allegations against Kappler, its own internal investigation is already underway.
On Friday, July 25, the Saugerties Central School District’s Board of Education held an emergency executive session, its sole purpose to authorize the hiring of an unnamed independent investigator at a rate of $150 per hour, and the law firm of Guercio and Guercio at a rate of $250 per hour, to investigate and file an advisory report in an “employment-related matter.”
In a statement later that day, Saugerties School Board President Jeffrey Riozzi detailed the purpose of the investigation, including following up on complaints of inappropriate behavior, reviewing related policies and procedures, and delivering a comprehensive report. Though they did not name the investigator, the district assured the community that she had a background in criminal investigation prior to narrowing her focus to schools, and has conducted numerous investigations ranging from “serious sports hazing incidents to sexual harassment.” The investigator is not from Saugerties and has no ties to the community, officials said, giving her an opportunity to conduct an unbiased review.
Last week, Erceg said that the investigation is underway and that anyone with anything to say can speak to someone in the district. Alternatively, students can file a report through the “anonymous alerts” tab on the SCSD website.
“I want to be absolutely clear that any form of sexual misconduct in the district will be investigated through this full system,” Erceg said.
On Monday, Aug. 18, the SCSD website expanded upon the process, encouraging anyone with anything to say to speak out.
“(T)he internal investigation into the district handling and subsequent response to the initial complaint against the former employee and wrestling coach has begun,” read the message. “The lead independent investigator would like to speak with anyone who has information pertaining to this incident or any other similar incident. All communications will be held in the strictest confidence. The investigator can be reached directly via email at classifiedconsultinginc@gmail.com. After the initial connection, you and the investigator will determine the best way to move the conversation forward. We implore you to keep the communication avenues open and continue to reach out with issues, feedback, or simply to ask a question.”
The district has not only kept lines of communication open for all students who may need support, but has also proactively reached out to those who were coached by Kappler.
“We reached out to our wrestlers from the 2022–23 season as well as the female wrestlers from the 2023–24 season,” Erceg said. “When the school year begins, we are going to have ongoing support for students so we can deal with and process what has happened … We as a district are steadfast in protecting our students.”
Trustees shared their support for the district’s handling of a difficult situation.
“I feel very pleased and thankful to the district for the third-party investigation,” said Michelle Gramoglia. “And I would encourage anyone in the community that has information about this particular incident or other instances of concern to please contact.”
Riozzi stressed that the district is also making every effort to allow students to have a normal school experience even while the investigation is ongoing.
“We have this investigation, and in less than three weeks, we have students start to show up,” he said. “That’s the equivalent to me of open-heart surgery, but the patient is still walking around. Our teachers and our administrators have to plan to bring those students back and minimize disruption. So thank you to all of you for that. That is as critical as the investigation… while some of them are interested in… the investigation, some of them just want to go to school.”
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.