Last winter, the former superintendent of the State College School District resigned from his position after he was arrested and charged with drunk driving. After the incident, the superintendent expressed great regret and embarrassment for the actions that led to the DUI arrest, and subsequently resigned from his position.

Recently, he was chosen by western Pennsylvania's Grove City Area School Board to serve as the district's superintendent. However, a Grove City resident is threatening to file a lawsuit to prevent the superintendent from taking the job, claiming that his DUI arrest violates the school district's moral standards, and therefore that the superintendent is not qualified for the position.

The DUI arrest took place on November 18 of last year during a routine traffic stop. According to police reports, a trooper suspected that the superintendent was intoxicated when he smelled the "odor of an alcoholic beverage" in the vehicle. A subsequent chemical test showed that the superintendent's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit, and he was charged with DUI and various traffic offenses. His case may go to trial as soon as next month.

Following the arrest, the superintendent resigned from his role with the State College School District. When the Grove City Area School Board voted to hire him as the district's new superintendent, a citizen expressed a very public negative reaction, threatening to sue in order to keep the district from hiring someone who he says "doesn't meet the district's standards for ethics and integrity."

However, school board president Robert Montgomery spoke out against that claim, stating that the superintendent was always honest about his criminal history, that he came highly recommended, and that he was the best candidate for the job.

We applaud the school board's actions. Although a DUI is a serious transgression, there is no law that states that an offender should not be able to learn from his mistakes and move on with his life. We will continue to update this story if it progresses.

Source: Westport News, "Citizen wants to nix Pa. supe hiring over DUI", 21 April 2011