SARANAC LAKE — At a Saranac Lake Central School District Board of Education meeting last month, around 18 people — student athletes, parents and former board members — told the board they were upset with the district administrators’ decision to not renew the girls varsity volleyball coach’s contract.

Coach Mike Navarra is not being brought on for another year of coaching after an annual evaluation in December brought up two on-court issues he has had in the past year — a red card for arguing with a referee and shouting with opposing team fans, according to a letter from Superintendent Diane Fox obtained by the Enterprise.

He says these cases were not as serious as the district has made them to be and has accused the district of retaliating against him for speaking about his opposition to his son’s seven-game basketball suspension for a social media post. Last month, school administrators suspended his son, who is Black, for a Snapchat post using the n-word and f-word.

Former board president Aurora White, who resigned in November, said she felt it was suspicious that Navarra was “banned from all home and away games and lost their coaching privileges within seven days of voicing his disapproval.”

Her daughter is on the varsity volleyball team.

“I do not always agree with the volleyball coach’s behavior,” White said. “It’s the passion and the emotion that sneaks in at times during competitions that leads to the loud and what is perceived by some as unacceptable behavior, but honestly the passion and the sacrifice is what makes for a great coach.”

White said she felt his behavior was not addressed earlier, and not deemed an issue at the time the incidents happened.

“The volleyball coach’s behavior was out there all the time for everyone to see,” White said. “The coaching style was accepted, condoned and even rewarded by our district and our community year after year.

“A superintendent who truly disagreed with an individual’s coaching style and felt that any of their actions were ‘reprehensible’ and, ‘entirely unacceptable’ has the obligation to do something to correct the behavior,” she added.

She criticized the school board for saying it does not interfere with these types of incidents.

“By doing nothing and taking no action you are accepting and condoning these actions,” she said. “It would be as if you carried out the offenses yourself.”

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Students speak

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Swae Connor, a junior, said that from the bleachers Navarra might appear harsh, but he is “truly a compassionate person.” She asked the administrators to reconsider their decision. The team has been five-time sectional championships under Navarra, she said. When parents get rowdy, coaches handle them, she added.

Malea White, a senior, and the daughter of the former school board president, said that this season, a parent of a teammate swore at her, insulted the coach and assistant coach, and a teammate called her and her teammates “profane names.” This was brought to the administration and they faced “virtually no punishment.”

Malea felt Navarra’s son’s punishment was “excessive,” especially considering that there were other cases of athlete misconduct in previous years — body shaming of classmates or breaking in and vandalizing the school — that did not carry such punishments.

Anica Null said volleyball is one of the most important things in her life and Navarra has changed her life through his coaching. She wants to keep up the sport in college, she said. Null asked the administrators to change their minds. She said removing Navarra will “hurt countless young women.”

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Suspension questioned

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Aurora White also felt the suspension for Navarra’s son was too harsh.

She quoted the student code of conduct as saying “disciplinary action, when necessary will be firm, fair and consistent.” That disciplinary action should place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow and that first violations should merit a lighter penalty, she said.

His words did not target an individual and Aurora said she felt the punishment was too severe for a first offense.

“The student would have received a lesser penalty had they in celebration after their game actually used illegal substances at center court,” she said.

She compared this case to another case where a student shouted at fellow team members at a tournament and that student’s parent also shouted, “including profanities such as was used in the post.”

In this other case, they student got an oral warning and did not miss a practice or game. White felt this case was handled correctly, and said it appeared the student had learned from the punishment.

But as for Navarra’s son, she felt “emotion, bias and embarrassment got in the way of properly handling this instance within the bounds of the policies of the district,” Aurora said.

In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that schools may police some online speech of students if it disrupts the flow of education. But in the case it was ruling on, in which a cheerleader used the f-word multiple times in a Snapchat photo criticizing the school, the court said her actions did not disrupt the flow of education. White felt this is a very similar case, and Navarra’s son’s post did not disrupt classroom study.

“The only disruption to the education environment in this district as a result of this incident was caused, and is still being caused by the administration,” Aurora said. “Had the event been handled properly it would not have become a topic to be talked about in between classes, during lunch, on everyone else’s social media posts or even at this board meeting.”

She also drew a parallel between the district’s decision to leave up painted “MAGA” tiles in the cafeteria to protect the freedom of speech of the students who painted them, but felt that freedom was not protected for Navarra’s son.

“They’ll protect the speech of someone who was there years ago, and (the speech) has no place in the school. It’s offensive to students and hurtful to our minority students,” Aurora said Tuesday. “But yet that’s the right they choose to protect as opposed to a current student and their right to their own personal social media account.”

In addition to the public comment at the board meeting, an online petition to reinstate Navarra had 545 signatures Tuesday.

Interim school board President Mark Farmer thanked them all for speaking, especially the students. He said he was proud of the students who spoke.

He said it makes a difference when people show up and speak to them, in public or over email, adding that board members read every email, letter or bit of correspondence they are given. Farmer said the topic is not closed, they just can’t discuss it in public forum.

Fox said she is not legally allowed to comment on employment and disciplinary situations. After the board meeting where this issue was addressed, she said she will not comment on it publicly.

Athletic Director Forrest Morgan also said he would not comment on the situation.

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This is part two of a three-part series.