Even with a new football coaching staff, the Baylor football team can’t seem to shake its penchant for negative headlines.
The Waco Tribune reported Monday that Brandon Washington, who recently was hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Bears, was arrested early Saturday morning in a prostitution sting conducted by the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office. Baylor announced that it fired Washington upon learning of the solicitation charge, a Class B misdemeanor.
“After a full criminal background check was completed and cleared, Brandon Washington was recently hired as an assistant in the Football Strength and Conditioning area,” the school said in a statement released late Monday. “Baylor was notified on February 4 of Brandon Washington’s arrest and terminated his employment immediately that day.”
“When we arrived at Baylor, we made a commitment to character and integrity in our program,” Rhule said. “Brandon’s actions are completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate conduct that is contradictory to these values.”
Rhule is tasked with remaking a Baylor football program that’s been accused of turning a blind eye to sexual assaults committed by its players over a multiyear period during the tenure of former coach Art Briles, who was fired in May along with the school’s athletic director and president. A lawsuit filed late last month alleges that at least 31 Bears football players committed at least 52 “acts of rape” over four years.
(c) 2017, The Washington Post ยท Matt Bonesteel
