Kuna High School's football team kicked off against Centennial Friday night in their homecoming game, but they had to take the field without one of their coaches.
Robby Lee Washington was an assistant football coach at Kuna High School. He was arrested Thursday on drug possession charges.
In a letter sent to parents Friday, Superintendent Wendy Johnson confirmed Washington is no longer employed by the district.
Washington appeared in court Friday afternoon for multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
Washington was also arrested on possession charges in Canyon County in 2010. The former coach was hired by the district in 2015.
District Spokesperson David Reinhart says an administrative oversight led to the district’s hiring of Washington.
"He was simply hired in a period of time where there was one HR director leaving, an interim director coming on board, and so there were policies that simply weren't followed,” Reinhart says.
Reinhart says the district is now checking the backgrounds of other employees hired during that time period.
"We're pulling all the files of everyone that was hired between July 1 of 2015 and Nov. 1 of 2015 to just make sure that all the background checks have been completed and that they are all up to our standards," he says.
The district does not believe Washington's employment at the school put students in danger.
"He had great performance,” Reinhart says “The kids seemed to love him, and the coaches loved him."
Kuna District officials say they are keeping a close eye on their students.
"We're keeping a special eye on the coaches and the students to make sure they're okay,” Reinhart says. “We’ve also asked parents to keep an eye on the students to make sure they haven't been negatively influenced by this coach."
The arrest of one of their coaches may have changed the mood at the school, but the homecoming festivities continued as planned.
"It is a tough weekend to do this, but we trust the Kuna family will rally behind their head coach and behind their school and get the job done tonight," Reinhart says.
Washington is being held on a $10,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct 13.
