We understand – but ultimately don’t agree – with the feelings of those who think Ben Spitzer, Chautauqua Lake Central School superintendent, should be fired after being charged in March with driving while intoxicated and DWI per se.

Losing one’s job for an admittedly poor and potentially tragic decision seems a bit harsh.

There are those who feel Spitzer isn’t paying enough of a penalty. Last week, Spitzer accepted an offer from the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s office to plea guilty to a lesser, non-criminal charge of driving while ability impaired, pay a $500 fine and $260 mandatory surcharge, and have his driver’s license suspended for 90 days. The Chautauqua Lake Central School board has chosen not to further reprimand Spitzer. The board could have chosen to levy an additional punishment on Spitzer; school district residents and voters ultimately are the ones who will decide if that was the right decision.

We hope, however, that Spitzer does use this incident as a teaching moment. Those were the words Spitzer’s attorney, Andrew S. Robinson, used after Spitzer’s final court date last week when describing how Spitzer wanted to proceed for his students, faculty and the community. We are entering the prom and graduation season, a time during which school officials throughout the county plead with their students not to drink and drive. Spitzer could provide a moving example for his students and staff of what happens when someone drinks, drives and gets pulled over before something tragic happens.

Spitzer’s incident could have been worse – the tragic death of George Boozel in Findley Lake at the hands of an intoxicated driver is proof of that.