Superintendent charged with DWI after crowd-surfing during football game

Baldwinsville School District Superintendent Jason Thomson was pulled over for not having a front license plate and failing to signal during a turn. Police say his BAC was .15%.

About an hour and a half after kickoff, New York’s Baldwinsville Central School District Superintendent Jason Thomson was found driving with a blood alcohol content nearly twice the legal limit before being pulled over for turning without signaling and driving without a front license plate.

Baker High School students first suspected Thomson of drinking during an interaction they had with him during their Friday night football game, according to a news release from Baldwinsville Police Chief Michael W. Lefancheck. The superintendent raised his arms and crowd-surfed through the student section. After he touched the ground, students notified school staff that he might be under the influence.

Several students caught the incident on video (see below).

At around 8 p.m. Thomson was pulled over. Upon conducting a sobriety test, police discovered that Thomson’s BAC was .15%, which is nearly double the legal limit of .08%.

Alcohol isn’t sold at district athletic events, Lefancheck told The Washington Post. Thomson left the game before police could confront him, Lefancheck said.


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School Board President Jennifer Patruno said in a statement Friday that the district will take appropriate action.

“We appreciate this prompt response by school staff in responding to this matter,” she said. “Since this is a personnel matter, the district is unable to comment further.”

According to the district’s website, a special meeting has been called for Monday, Oct. 10 to discuss “matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal, or removal of a particular person or corporation.”

Thomson was named superintendent in August of last year with a 7-1 vote. He previously served as superintendent of the Ichabod Crane Central School District in Valatie, New York.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the community, teachers and staff,” he said in a video last year thanking the board for selecting him. “Number one priority is to do what’s best for students.”

Micah Ward
Micah Wardhttps://districtadministration.com
Micah Ward is a District Administration staff writer. He recently earned his master’s degree in Journalism at the University of Alabama. He spent his time during graduate school working on his master’s thesis. He’s also a self-taught guitarist who loves playing folk-style music.

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