Community urges Levittown Board to reinstate MacArthur cheer coach Lisa Nessler

Dozens of parents, students and alumni urged the Levittown Board of Education on March 20 to reinstate MacArthur High School cheer coach Lisa Nessler, arguing the suspension was premature and damaging to students’ athletic and college prospects.

At a specially convened budget planning session, speakers delivered personal accounts of Nessler’s role as a mentor, teacher and program leader and questioned the board’s process. "She treats her athletes like her own children," said Cammy Sankeyel, a junior at MacArthur, who told the board Nessler "has taught me to test my limits" and asked trustees to "reconsider your decision and allow us to have our coach back." (Cammy Sankeyel, public commenter)

The board had suspended Nessler pending a personnel process that officials described as constrained by New York State privacy rules. The chair reminded the public that, because of privacy laws, the board could not conduct a back‑and‑forth with commenters or disclose personnel details.

Why it matters: speakers said the suspension threatens an elite, long‑running program that has taken multiple teams to national competitions and that removing Nessler could disrupt seniors’ recruitment chances. "Without her, our true family is incomplete," William Smith told the board, referencing students’ emotional investment in the program. Several commenters said no athlete interviews had been conducted and asked the board to hear from the team.

Parents and alumni cited the program’s competitive record and the number of athletes involved. "This program has 55 athletes," said Laurie Karnak, who called Nessler "irreplaceable" and urged trustees to share the hundreds of supportive emails the board had received. Nicole Amato said she collected "2,500 plus signatures" in support of the coach.

The board’s response at the meeting focused on process and privacy. Early in the meeting the chair told attendees the district is bound by "legal constraints regarding the privacy of our employees and our students," and that personnel decisions follow a "comprehensive review process." The chair also noted only district residents may speak during the public comment period.

What happened next: the board closed the general public‑be‑heard period and continued its planning agenda. There was no public action on the suspension at the March 20 session; trustees later moved into executive session to discuss personnel matters. The suspension and any investigative details were not discussed in open session because of the board’s cited privacy obligations.

Sources: Public comments at the Levittown Board of Education March 20, 2024 budget planning session, including remarks by Cammy Sankeyel, Kayla Collins, Angelo Mantier Ramos, Laurie Karnak and others.