SKANEATELES – At least for now, Joe Sindoni is back as the varsity football coach at Skaneateles. Whether that is the case when the Lakers start practice on March 8 remains an open question.
Sindoni proved successful in Onondaga County Supreme Court early last week in temporarily returning to his post from which he was fired early in January.
Judge Gerard Neri accepted Sindoni’s argument that the Skaneateles School District did not take the proper steps in removing Sindoni, and granted an injunction requiring his reinstatement.
In issuing his decision, Neri said he could not require the Skaneateles Board of Education to keep Sindoni, only that he give himself an opportunity to defend his actions before any personnel decision is made.
Praising this decision, Skaneateles Booster Club president Joe Goethe issued a statement where he criticized school officials for ignoring regulations due to what he said was a personal animus toward Sindoni.
“The students, parents and community cherish Sindoni’s steadfast commitment to the safety and success of our children,” said Goethe. “We’re hopeful the board addresses their errors identified by the (court) and end this mess by listening to the community and permanently reinstating our beloved coach.”
While tension between Sindoni and school district officials, including the athletic department, had built in the years since Skaneateles won the 2017 state Class C championship, an unauthorized alumni game marked a breaking point.
The “Turkey Bowl” organized by a group of former Skaneateles players was held late in November at Hyatt Stadium despite state restrictions on gatherings and high-risk sports.
Sindoni did not organize the game, but the district said that, in the ensuing weeks, six participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 100 students and teachers were quarantined.
Blaming Sindoni for not putting a halt to the Turkey Bowl, the school board held an executive session Jan. 5 and decided not to renew Sindoni’s contract – but did not give a chance for the coach to defend his actions.
Not until late January did the public learn of this decision, and it caused a storm of controversy. While some in the community defended the action, many others, including alumni, current players and parents, criticized the board.
Now it was up to the district to take the next step, all with less than a month to go before practices for a football season moved from the fall of 2020 are set to get underway.
What it decided, in a special school board meeting held last Thursday, was to appeal Neri’s decision to a higher court.
The board said that it understood the community’s concerns over the decision process but still thought its action to fire Sindoni justified, and that it did have the financial means to continue the legal process.
In the meantime, Sindoni had already met with his current players remotely in mid-week and reportedly told them to get ready for a season with him still coaching the Lakers.
