LEROY — After almost five hours since the start of their meeting, the LeRoy-Ostrander School Board came to a decision during Tuesday night’s meeting: they will not renew the coaching contracts for head football coach Aaron Hungerholt and assistant head football coach and head boys basketball coach Trevor Carrier starting the 2019-2020 school year.

During the public comment period, various community members decried the investigation and demanded answers regarding the allegations made against Hungerholt and Carrier. The legal fees have cost the L-O district thousands of dollars since the investigation started two months ago. The details of the reasoning behind the investigation remains unknown to the public as of Wednesday.

Hungerholt had submitted a letter of resignation from his head football coach position back in October; however, the letter was not mentioned during November’s meetings. The resignation was accepted by the school board during Tuesday’s session.

The Austin Daily Herald attempted to contact both Carrier and Hungerholt via email and social media, but requests went unanswered.

The investigation was one that struck hard with LeRoy-Ostrander parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, business owners and students. For almost two months, the L-O district has launched an investigation of Hungerholt and Carrier amid allegations made against them. However, Superintendent Jeff Sampson referred to Minnesota Data Privacy Laws that legally bound the district from disclosing matters regarding personnel under investigation.

“I want to remind you that this is even more than what we speculated to cost,” said Dave Lunning, former L-O school board member. “This investigation caused heartache and anxiety for the families of Aaron and Trevor. There’s going to be long-term effects, and we are hoping you end this thing tonight.”

One by one, individuals expressed their disdain for the handling of the investigation and how families were affected, including Carrier’s loved ones.

“We may not get along all the time, that’s what brothers do, but (Trevor) is a great teacher and made me a better person,” said Tye Carrier, an attendee of the meeting. “Aaron was a great man and educator, and he has done nothing but try. He does not deserve what you’re putting him and his family through.”

Closed session, unanswered questions

It was a little past 8 p.m. when the L-O School Board went into closed session, leaving the public to wait outside in the cafeteria as the board members consulted with its attorney and discussed personnel matters.

For more than three hours they waited, with growing anger and frustration increasing amid the group of 30 or more parents, teachers, staff and residents who showed their outward support of Hungerholt and Carrier.

By 11:20 p.m., the public was allowed back in to hear what the school board had decided regarding Hungerholt and Carrier. Several motions were made, including:

• To not renew the coaching contract of the girls basketball coach
• To not renew the coaching contract of the boys assistant head football coach
• To not renew the coaching contract of the boys head basketball coach

Two of the three motions passed with a 4-3 vote, while Carrier’s contract for coaching football was not renewed with a 5-2 vote. The latter was met with cries of “unbelievable” from the audience.

Discontinuing superintendent shared services

The L-O School Board received a letter from the Southland School District about its decision to terminate the Superintendent Sharing Agreement between the two districts from its own meeting on Monday night, and L-O would need to respond to the letter with its decision.

“The superintendent sharing agreement between the two districts is up for renewal at the end of June,” said Michelle Nelsen, Southland School Board chair in an email. “The LeRoy community, as well as a couple of L-O school board members have expressed their concerns with the current sharing agreement, so we felt this would be a good time to move in a different direction.”

When it was suggested that Sampson no longer continue his duties as superintendent in L-O, the public applauded and demanded that the action be taken immediately. However, state laws require each district to have a superintendent, and the school board must find an interim or long-term superintendent to assume Sampson’s role with proper licensure.

Steve Kasel, L-O school board member, stated that Sampson would be relieved of his duties “effective immediately” contingent on whether the district finds an interim superintendent to replace him. Sampson would still retain his job as superintendent in the Southland School District.

“We would terminate the contract upon approval of the interim superintendent,” Kasel added.

By 11:45 p.m., the school board adjourned the meeting, and members filed out of the music room while Mower County Sheriff’s deputies maintained calm as sarcastic and angry words were hurled at the officials by the attendees.

When asked whether Hungerholt or Carrier could speak openly about the investigation now that disciplinary action was taken, officials noted that they would need to “go through the process.”

As a small crowd gathered around Hungerholt and Carrier, Carrier angrily walked out of the music room with onlookers still disheartened over the outcome of the session.

“You can’t ruin a man’s life with this kind of crap,” he shouted. “This is my career, and (expletive) I did a good job of doing it!”