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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baylor head football coach Matt Rhule talked with reporters at a Feb. 1 NCAA college news conference during national signing day in Waco, Texas. Brandon Washington was fired Saturday, Feb. 4 after school officials learned that he had been arrested earlier in the day on a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in a jail and a $2,000 fine.
WACO, Texas >> Baylor University fired a newly hired assistant strength and conditioning coach after he was arrested on a prostitution solicitation charge, the latest legal development at a school wracked a by a sexual assault scandal.
Brandon Washington was fired Saturday after school officials learned he had been arrested earlier in the day on a misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in a jail and a $2,000 fine.
Deputies arrested the 33-year-old coach at a Waco-area hotel, McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said.
“When we arrived at Baylor, we made a commitment to character and integrity in our program,” new football coach Matt Rhule said. “Brandon’s actions are completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate conduct that is contradictory to these values.”
Rhule was hired from Temple, where Washington was on his staff.
Baylor officials said the school conducted a full background check before hiring Washington. Jason Cook declined to comment on the specifics of the check or how the private school handles them in general, calling it a personnel issue.
The nation’s largest Baptist university faces multiple federal lawsuits as well as a civil rights investigation into claims the school and football program ignored, mishandled or tried to cover up reports of sexual or physical abuse and other criminal misdeeds across campus for years. The scandal led to the firing of football coach Art Briles in 2016 and the demotion and eventual resignation of former president and chancellor Ken Starr. Former athletic director Ian McCaw also resigned. McCaw is now at Liberty University in Virginia.
Multiple women have alleged the school or ignored their complaints of sexual or physical assault by football players. An investigation for the school by the law firm Pepper Hamilton determined the football program operated as if were “above the rules” by interfering with investigations or protecting players from discipline.
School regents have acknowledged the investigation found 17 women who were sexually assaulted, including four cases of gang rape. A lawsuit filed last month puts the number much higher, with a former student identified only as “Elizabeth Doe” alleging knowledge of at least 52 acts of rape by 31 players over a four-year period.
Baylor officials have publicly apologized to victims and said they are improving how the campus responds to assault reports. The school also has reached at least two settlements with women who said they were attacked.
increasing corruption and scandal as even good colleges sell their integrity for silly games like football must end. It is a horrible game that is crippling many players none of whom are paid.
Allie, I’m not dismissing what they have done, but, they are receiving an education which the last time I checked is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It’s racist that a female cannot earn a living providing a desired service.
It’s fitting that Baylor is a church-affiliated school. The school is run by men for men (and money). The bible, written by men, casts women as the source of temptation and, of course, blames Eve for Adam eating the forbidden fruit. They go well together. For enlightenment and entertainment, read genesis 19:30-38. According to this story, one daughter said to the other, “Our father is old and there is no man around her to give us children…Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” Wow! What a story! If a modern day father blamed his daughters’ pregnancy on them, he would be sent directly to jail. Does anyone believe this story–or that it was written by a woman?
Gosh, who can we trust!
What happens in Waco stays in Waco. Up until now that is. The school now needs to change their name to the Baylor Sinners.