Student-athletes and parents within the Remsen School District are still angry at being “blindsided” by the postponement of all sports and after-school activities.

An emergency virtual board meeting was held Tuesday night to discuss Remsen’s interscholastic sports season, which was postponed “until further notice” on Friday, Superintendent Tim Jenny said.

“These children feel betrayed by their school, and us parents feel betrayed by the board and superintendent that are supposed to be there for (the children),” Remsen mother Jamie Lichtenberger told the Observer-Dispatch Wednesday. “Mr. Jenny has stated ‘Remsen Strong’ through this whole COVID pandemic, yet how can we be strong when our children’s livelihoods are being destroyed?

“I fear for the mental state of these children. My son, who has a learning disability, struggles and pushes himself to get good grades just to be able to play sports. Now that motivation is gone. These children are heartbroken, as is our community.”

Jenny did not immediately respond to an email from the Observer-Dispatch on Wednesday, but a Remsen parent said that Jenny and members of the board of education all voted that sports would remain postponed.

Remsen’s school board members are Mary Lou Allen, Brian Parent, Mark Williams, Patrick Nolan and Stephanie Karis. Jenny and athletic director Dale Dening were also said to be in attendance at the virtual meeting.

“This decision to prohibit our school from participating in these competitions is going to adversely affect our students’ education, health and well-being,” Toni L. Klossner, another Remsen mother, told the O-D Tuesday.

“Every member failed to take this seriously and think about the children (affected) by this,” Lichtenberger said. “How about their mental well-being? The social skills they are developing? But most importantly, the opportunities these children will miss out on?”

Lichtenberger said 72 parents and students logged into Tuesday’s virtual meeting, which lasted about two hours before the board members’ vote. Dozens of parents and students were allowed to speak. All of them wanted a sports season.

The reason given by the board, Lichtenberger said, was that “some children and parents are terrified of COVID.”

“No facts, no statistics … as to why sports could not be held,” Lichtenberger said.

“If we do not participate in fall sports this year it will also take away the possibility of scholarships for these athletes,” Klossner said. “There will be students that will not be able to attend college without these scholarships. This life altering decision needs careful consideration before we can just react and cancel the entire fall sports season.”

School officials were heard laughing in response to the parents’ and students’ pleas, according to Lichtenberger.

“How could we expect them to take us seriously when they’re laughing and not truly listening to what the people and students had to say?” Lichtenberger said.

“The health of an adolescent is not based on their physical well-being only, but also on their social, emotional, and psychological well-being. These other facets of a student’s well-being need to be considered,” Klossner said.

Adirondack also postpones sports

The Adirondack Central School District voted to postpone its 2020-21 sports season.

That decision was made Wednesday night, when a special meeting for the purpose of interscholastic sports was held at the school’s gym and streamed online.

Members of Adirondack’s board of education, as well as Superintendent Edward S. Niznik and athletic director Dan Roberts, attended the meeting.

Questions and comments were read and responded to during the hour-long discussion.

Niznik wrote a letter Tuesday in anticipation of Wednesday’s decision.

“I anticipate that the Board is likely to adopt a resolution formally stating that the District will not participate in fall interscholastic athletics,” Niznik said in the letter.

“We understand that this will be a disappointment for our student athletes, but given all the safety protocols and procedures that have been implemented for the reopening of school, we believe additional time is needed before interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities can begin,” Niznik said.

Contact reporter Marquel Slaughter at 315-792-4963 or follow him on Twitter @OD_Slaughter.