Palmyra community continues to support coaches after contract non-renewal

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Members of the Palmyra school district wrestling community showed up again at a May 28 school board meeting to show continued support for the head and assistant wrestling coaches, whose contracts weren’t renewed at the previous meeting.

There were fewer speakers and a calmer tone compared to that May 14 group, but the messages were similar. People spoke about the impact the head coach Jonathan Regets and assistant coach Josh Weidman had on students, their dedication to the team, and disagreement over how the board handled the situation.

“Policies meant to protect children can also cause harm when misapplied, weaponized, or enforced without context, and context matters,” Jill Regets, wife of Coach Regets, said. “We all know [board member] Corey Andrew filed these policy complaints after the coaches benched his son for poor conduct. That timing matters. But beyond timing, there’s a bigger issue — none of these so-called policy concerns made kids less safe.”

Board president Jill Martin, along with board members Corey Andrew, Alicia Haldeman, Cynthia Spondello, and Seth Steinmetz, voted to approve the list of 2026-27 winter coaches without Regets and Weidman on May 14.

A letter from Coach Regets’ lawyer was included in the communication portion of Thursday’s meeting agenda. District staff and administration previously declined to state what policies were violated, but the letter states the allegations included improper use of the team’s wrestling account, providing Vitamin C to athletes, failing to report a sexual assault allegation, financially compensating a student for work, and benching Andrew’s son.

The sexual assault allegation was mentioned during a January meeting, where the community spoke in defense of the coaches after they were suspended. The suspension was lifted later that month.

The young woman spoke during public comment at that meeting to say there was no sexual assault. LebTown is not naming the alumna in accordance with a policy on reporting on crime and sexual assaults. She said she was confused about why the incident was being brought up years later.

The letter from Regets’ legal counsel stated that Regets acted appropriately by contacting athletic director Brian Weidler, who “expressed no concern whatsoever regarding the manner in which Coach Regets handled the matter.”

The full letter is available below.

“To now resurrect this years-old matter and imply that Coach Regets somehow failed to act appropriately is not only contrary to the District’s own prior findings and conduct, but also malicious and defamatory,” the letter states. “The attempt to recharacterize a matter that was already addressed and resolved years ago appears designed solely to damage Coach Regets’ reputation and manufacture justification for the District’s present actions.”

It further states that the district or its legal counsel should reach out by June 2, so that the parties can discuss the matter and determine “whether an amicable resolution can be reached. In the event we do not hear from you by that date, Coach Regets will pursue all legal remedies and causes of action available to him under applicable law without further notice.”

Before the public comment portion of the meeting, the district’s legal representative said the district is limited in what it can say because of threatened litigation. After the meeting, superintendent Bernie Kepler said he would not comment further on the wrestling coaches.

Several wrestlers and families said replacing the coaches will have an impact on both the team and the athletes. Angie Foltz, mother of a high school wrestler, said her son is entering the recruiting process and pursuing opportunities with Division I service academies.

“Coaches play a critical role in mentoring students and advocating [for] them during these moments,” she said to the board. “That’s why decisions like this matter beyond wins and losses.”

The decision not to renew the contracts comes after a historic season for the Palmyra wrestling program. The team qualified for PIAA Team States for the first time, and sent three wrestlers — the most in the program’s history — to individual states. The two coaches were also named District 3 Coaches of the Year.

Around the room, there were signs that stated “I stand with Coach Regets.” There was no action regarding the wrestling coaches during the May 28 meeting.

Weidman also spoke during public comment to thank the community for its support.

“I’m really honored at how you guys have shown up for us, and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this much love in my life,” he said.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved the new collective bargaining agreement between the Palmyra Area School District and the Palmyra Area Education Association from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. According to information provided to the media, teacher salary increases will average 4% in 2026-27, 4% in 2027-28, and 5% in 2028-29, and the teacher work day will be extended an additional 15 minutes per day.
• Voted in favor of the 2026-27 Lebanon County Career and Technology Center budget.
• Failed to pass the finance committee action items with a 4-4 vote. Board members Larry Geib, Sue Gilligan, Dave Laudermilch, and Christine Fisher voted against the motion after a vote failed to separate the reading of a policy that would give the finance chairperson the ability to sit in on building budget presentations. Laudermilch said he was against the policy because it would give the chair oversight responsibilities that the rest of the board wouldn’t have.
• Approved the staffing and administration consent agenda.
• Heard Kepler’s Palmyra Pride shoutouts. He spoke about wrestler Elijah Foltz, who became the first Palmyra state place winner since 1988; Delaney Gawel, who earned second place at the Lebanon County Civics Bee and will advance to the state competition; Nathan Carroll, who was named the Lebanon Federal Credit Union’s Teacher of the Year; the Math Team, who had a strong season of success; Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors; and the Girls on the Run 5K Event held at HACC in Harrisburg.

The Palmyra school board will meet next at Lingle Avenue Elementary School on June 11 at 6 p.m. Meetings can also be attended via Zoom.