Lewis Holloway, the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent, was reinstated by the Board of Trustees in a 3-1 vote during a special called meeting Monday evening. 
Lee Brand voted against this action.
Holloway is on suspension without pay for two weeks resulting from his arrest and two charges of simple assault by threats on Aug. 10. He will return to work Sep. 8. 
The decision was preceded by a series of incidents involving Holloway and Starkville resident, Roy Couvion, Holloway’s neighbor. 
The first of these incidents occurred on May 3 when an incident report was filed on account of an “animal problem,” with no specific details. 
The next incident on Aug. 9 resulted in the discharge of a firearm by Holloway, and an affidavit filed by Couvion against Holloway, in which he accused Holloway of “fear of eminent, bodily harm by threatening him with a firearm,” as reported in the Starkville Daily News.
Couvion filed another affidavit on Aug. 9 against Holloway, but it was not made available to the public because it contains the name of a minor.
Following this affidavit, an arrest warrant was issued for Holloway. He turned himself in to authorities and was charged with two counts of simple assault by threats, and was released on a $1,000 bond.  Holloway was then placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation headed by board attorney John Hill.  
Couvion was also arrested Aug. 17 and charged with simple assault as a result of the previous incident on May 3. He will appear in justice court on Sept. 15. 
The simple assault charges against both Holloway and Couvion are misdemeanors.  
School Board member Keith Coble read from the board’s prepared statement, “While we regret Dr. Holloway didn’t immediately seek help from law enforcement in this instance as he did in previous incidents which are documented by officers who responded, our investigation did not conclude there was intent to harm anyone. The allegations do not involve school personnel or school-related issues, and the alleged incident occurred away from district property,” The Dispatch reported from the special called meeting Monday evening.
After the board made their decision to reinstate Holloway as superintendent, several members of the crowd expressed their concern at the board’s continued support of Holloway throughout the series of reported incidents said The Dispatch.
Chris Taylor, Oktibbeha County NAACP chairman, said to The Dispatch the three members of the board who voted in favor of Holloway (Coble, Eddie Myles and Jenny Turner) should be replaced, and said Holloway should have been removed from his leadership position.
The SOCSD Board of Trustees fifth seat is currently vacant as Juliette Weaver-Reese resigned from the position last week.  
“Dr. Holloway displayed poor judgement. He has fired personnel in this county for less. He has lost credibility with most of the county,” Taylor said to The Dispatch. “(Coble, Myles and Turner) don’t need to be there because they’re scared. They’re afraid to make the tough decisions.”
“(Holloway) has navigated consolidation with a tenacious spirit, determined to build a bigger, stronger (school district) with the support of our community,” Coble said, reading from the board’s prepared statement. “He’s stood up for public school families, teachers, students and administrators.
SOCSD Assistant Superintendents Toriano Holloway and Jody Woodrum will continue to lead the district during Lewis Holloway’s suspension as they have done during his previous absence.