Mineola School Board Extends Superintendent's Suspension

MINEOLA, NY — During Thursday night's Board meeting, the Mineola School Board decided to extend Superintendent Michael Nagler's current suspension by two weeks.

The Mineola Schools Superintendent was initially suspended with pay on Jan. 8 after an investigation found he violated the district's code of ethics and his employment contract.

On Jan. 22, Board members voted 5 to 0 to have his suspension extended until the next board meeting on Feb. 5. The Board also voted to have Deputy Superintendent Catherine Fishman continue to serve as acting superintendent. School Board President Cheryl Lampasona read the resolutions aloud, Resolution 68 and 69, respectively.

Nagler was not in attendance at the Jan. 22 meeeting, which was livestreamed. Nagler could not immediately be reached for comment.

Nagler and his son, James, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student, worked on a new digital learning management system (LMS) that the school implemented at the start of the 2025-26 school year. Nagler had been under investigation since October for this LMS after parents complained to the Board and after they became aware that the program was developed by Quave, a private company founded by Nagler and James.

At the school board meeting on Jan. 8, parents, students, and community members were in attendance, many of whom provided comments and questions. To explain the findings of the investigation that his law firm Whiteman, Osterman, and Hannah conducted, the Board invited Attorney Nathaniel Nichols to give a presentation. Nichols stated at the meeting that his firm found, in short, the following:

1) Nagler violated the district's ethics code.

2) The Board was not aware of actions taken by Nagler.

3) Nagler violated his employment contract.

At the school board meeting on Jan. 22, Lampasona read from a prepared statement on behalf of the board that they remain committed to following the legal process carefully and to sharing information with the community as they are permitted.

Lampasona also stated what the Board does not manage, like day-to-day district operations.

"With that said, when concerns are brought to the Board, it is our responsibility to ask questions, seek information from the appropriate parties, and take actions when warranted," she said. "The Board has done that, and we will continue to do that thoughtfully and responsibly."

She added that the Board is dedicated to its community and transparency.

"This Board has been publicly attacked as a lack of transparency, negligence, and insufficient oversight," she said. "We have listened to these accusations directly in this room and in public forums. The facts matter."

Some of the facts listed were that the BYOG program was terminated within one month of the start of school, special counsel was retained, and a formal investigation began on Oct. 9, 2026.

"At the request of the public, the Board released the full investigation findings in their entirety," she said. "The document was made publicly available. That's not secrecy– that's transparency."

She continued, stating that the Board felt an obligation to the Mineola Schools community to provide all the facts surrounding the issue, and that, at the end of the day, their focus remains "on our students, on our schools, and on the long-term health of the Mineola School District."