A disturbing story involving a former local high school football coach grew even darker last week when new charges were filed.
Josh Hood, former head football coach at Park Hill High School, will face his initial arraignment for Class 1 statutory rape of a person less than 14 years of age in Clay County District Court from an alleged incident that occurred in 2010 while Hood was an assistant football coach at Staley High School.
The news broke of the new charges on the same day Hood reached a plea agreement with Jackson County prosecutors on charges he had multiple sexual encounters with a student less than 17 years of age while a teacher and coach at Holden High School.
Hood
Last week Hood avoided jail time and had his sentence of four years in prison suspended and will serve five years of supervised probation. Hood also surrendered his teaching certificate as part of the agreement.
Hood was arrested last Wednesday, June 2, and released from Clay County on a $100,000 bond. Clay County prosecutors used a grand jury to file charges against Hood. The North Kansas City School District released a statement saying Hood was employed at the district from 2006 to 2013 and district officials found out about the charges through media inquiries.
Hood was employed at Park Hill High School until this past December when he was suspended by the district upon the news of the Jackson County charges.
Park Hill spokesperson Nicole Kirby released a statement saying the district was ready to take legal steps to have Hood’s teaching certificate revoked before the plea agreement. The district isn’t aware of any alleged incidents while Hood was employed at Park Hill.
“While we are still not aware of any reports or allegations from his time working in Park Hill, we encourage anyone who might know of any improper behavior to report it to us right away,” Kirby’s statement reads.