LEWISTON – Parents, students, coaches, teachers and school administrators filled the back half of the conference room at Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s new culinary arts facility, many of them patiently waiting for a turn to speak at the School Committee meeting Monday night.

Most left without saying a word.

News of the potential departure of high school hockey coach Norm Gagne has energized the community for the past week.

Gagne insists he didn’t resign. School officials maintain that he did – and that they accepted his resignation.

The letter, submitted to Superintendent of Schools Leon Levesque and signed by Gagne, bears the subject line, “Head Coaching Position” and contains one sentence: “This is notification to withdraw my name from consideration for the above position.”

The date on the top of the letter is May 12. Levesque signed the document, effectively accepting the resignation, two days later, on May 14.

“I don’t understand how it could be more clear,” Levesque said.

At the committee meeting, groups of parents and students arrived in waves, some in favor of Gagne, others against him. But state law precludes the committee from discussing, in a public forum, matters of personnel, even during the section of the meeting open to public comment.

After the section for public input came and went without any mention of Gagne, the committee saw there were still people in the room who wanted to speak, and opened a second round of public discussion, again cautioning anyone who spoke to avoid speaking on personnel issues.

Gary Prolman, the chairman of the Maine High School Hockey Invitational in Portland and a longtime friend of Gagne, spoke about the coach glowingly while dancing around the rules.

Lewiston junior Jake Brown, one of next season’s captains, circulated a petition signed by 20 of the 23 returning players in favor of Gagne returning next season as the team’s head coach.

Thomas Shannon, the chairman of the Lewiston School Committee, then reminded Brown – and others in the room – that the issue was dead.

“Events have transpired,” Shannon said. “There is written documentation, error or no error, mistake or no mistake. We have a process we now must follow, and we will. That does not preclude a former employee from reapplying for the position, nor does past history influence that person’s evaluation for fitness for the position.”

“The process has to start over,” committee member John Butler Jr. said. “We have a letter. The process has to take precedence. It’s an open position.”

A short time later, the room emptied

Pods of parents and students congregated in the main dining room afterward. Some offered handshakes and kind words to Gagne, others chose to keep their distance, saying only that they were disappointed because Gagne doesn’t embody the “Sports Done Right” philosophy. That’s an initiative to encourage sportsmanship and scholarship.

As he left the building, Gagne said his decision on whether to reapply for the position was still a few days coming.

“I certainly appreciate all the support I’ve been getting from the community,” Gagne said. “I had so many e-mails from people all across the state, from superintendents to athletic directors. I’m disappointed in the way it turned out, but I’m going to think about it, and I might apply back, because of the kids and their support.”