Saugerties Central School District Superintendent Daniel Erceg was placed on paid leave by the Board of Education on Tuesday amid fallout from two recent sex misconduct cases involving students and former town employees and accusations of a “coverup” culture.
Ex-Saugerties police officer Sydney Mills was indicted in July on charges he sexually abused a girl between the ages of 14 and 15. Authorities indicted Reid Kappler, a former Saugerties Central School District wrestling coach, later that month on 18 counts of felony rape stemming from alleged sexual contact with two students he coached from 2023 to 2024. The students were 15 and 16 at the time.
Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji said last week that he had received complaints from residents that accused the district of a history of covering up accusations.
“Residents have talked to me about allegations of abuse from 20 to 30 years ago and nothing was done,” Nneji said at a Sept. 3 town board meeting. “We want to make sure future cases and complaints are not shuffled under the rug or papered over.”
Saugerties Board of Education President James Riozzi, responding to questions about Superintendent Erceg being placed on leave, urged the public not to speculate. “We have an investigation underway, being led by a very skilled and experienced investigator,” he said, adding that placing staff on leave during such reviews is standard procedure and that the board is committed to student safety. Riozzi also said in a statement that the move was to ensure “a fair, transparent and impartial internal investigation related to the district’s handling of and response to a serious complaint involving a former employee.”
“We recognize this announcement will raise questions that we are not able to answer at present, and we ask for the community’s continued patience and understanding,” he said. “It is essential that we respect privacy laws and avoid speculation.”
Board members Katie Emerson Hoss, Carole Kelder, Timothy Wells, Michael Meyer and Sakinah Irizarry declined to comment and referred inquiries to Riozzi. Board President Riozzi responded but did not answer specific questions by publication time. Board members Michelle Gramoglia, Christine Bellarosa and Robert Thomann did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Deputy Superintendent Gwendolyn Roraback, who was appointed by the board as acting superintendent, couldn’t be reached.
Erceg, who was appointed in June 2023 and is in the third year of a five-year contract that pays him $195,000 a year, hasn’t been publicly accused of any misconduct. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Town Councilman Zach Horton, who at last week’s meeting stressed the need for accountability, said he didn’t know why Erceg was suspended.
“Unfortunately, there are still many unknowns surrounding this issue,” Horton said in an email. “But I do know this: The community wants and desperately needs a thorough and honest investigation.”
Jim Rich is a reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.
