Missouri school district head arrested on suspicion of DWI, board meets in executive session

The superintendent of the Saint Joseph School District (SJSD) in Missouri was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) over the weekend. 

Arrest records show that Dr. Gabe Edgar was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) on Sunday.

“Arrest records show MSHP cited charges for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and failure to drive on the right side of the roadway,” local KMBC 9 reported. The arrest occurred at 6:48 p.m. 

The school district later confirmed the arrest.

DWI is a class B misdemeanor in Missouri, which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine not exceeding $1,000. 

Members of the SJSD Board of Education (BOE) met on Monday in executive session, which is not open to the public.

But the publicized agenda of the meeting said that the executive session was pursuant to BOE rules on “Closed Meetings and Closed Records (3) Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting of particular employees and (13) Individually identifiable personnel records.”

Edgar has been on the job less than a year, having been named superintendent of the district in April 2022 by a unanimous vote of the board. In February, the board added a year to his three-year contract.

Previously, he served as assistant superintendent of business and operations for four years at the district.

The SJSD website currently still lists Edgar in the top spot, with no public announcement yet on the outcome of Monday’s meeting.