LOCKPORT, NY (WKBW) – A school superintendent officially has his job back two months after being charged with DWI.

The Starpoint Board of Education voted Monday night to reinstate Dr. Sean Croft.

On August 31, Croft crashed into a tree in West Seneca.

Responding officers say he showed signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests.

The following week, he was placed on administrative leave by the board.

I was at the night meeting where the board voted to bring Croft back from administrative leave.

Starpoint CSD BOE President Jeffrey Duncan said, “The Starpoint Central School District Board of Education is announcing tonight that Dr. Sean Croft will resume his responsibilities as superintendent with the full support of the board.”

The meeting lasted about seven minutes.

The council went into executive session immediately after.

Board President Jeffrey Duncan announced on behalf of the board that the decision to reinstate the superintendent was carefully considered given his long-standing dedication and positive contribution to the community.

Duncan said, “To support our shared goals and shared responsibility, the board reviewed Dr. Crofts’ contract. We anticipate that the board will authorize those contract revisions later in this meeting.”

Dr. Croft was initially arrested on a DWI charge just days before the school year began.

A district staff member called the alleged drunken driving a “mistake.”

“It would have been a shame to let someone get away with a mistake, but it’s still a mistake. We tell our kids if you make a mistake, you’ll be forgiven and try not to do it again,” Special Starpoint CSD. Program Department Diane Martineau said.

Diane Martineau works in the district’s special programs department.

She said it would be nice to have Dr. Croft back, citing that he has led the district through many crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s going to be a big morale booster because the unknown was tough and not knowing what was going on,” Martineau said. “Ms. Maureen Braunscheidel did a fabulous job while he was away.”

There were only four people at Monday night’s council meeting.

However, in September I attended the school board meeting with more than a dozen staff and parents in attendance and shared their position on whether he should retain his role as superintendent. That story can be found here.

Dr. Croft will return to work on Nov. 14, just two days after his Nov. 12 Erie County Court date on a DWI charge.