Josh Hood, head football coach for Park Hill High School since 2013, is facing sex crimes involving a teenager at a previous teaching job.
Hood, now 43, was charged Wednesday, Dec. 16 with allegedly having sexual activity with a teenager more than 15 years ago in Jackson County, prosecutors said.
He was charged with five counts of statutory sodomy, second-degree attempted statutory rape, child molestation and second-degree statutory rape, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Park Hill School District officials say when they found out about the allegations the district placed Hood on administrative leave immediately. Park Hill also issued a statement saying it is not aware of any reports of allegations about Hood of any similar conduct during his time at Park Hill.
The alleged crimes occurred while Hood was a teacher and coach at Holden High School. The alleged victim was a student at the school, prosecutors say.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol launched an investigation in April into allegations from a woman who said she was the victim of sexual offenses by Hood when she was younger than 17 and he was 26 and 27, according to court documents.
The alleged crimes occurred in several locations in Jackson County in 2003 and 2004 when Hood was a teacher and coach at Holden High School and the victim was a student, prosecutors said.
Court documents indicate the victim told Missouri Highway Patrol investigators that Hood had engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts when she was less than 17 in the fall of 2003 and spring of 2004.
At a press conference the same day the charges were announced, Hood’s attorney said Hood has no criminal history and called his reputation in the community “stellar.”
In a statement issued by the Park Hill School District on Wednesday, Dec. 16, school officials said:
“We learned late this afternoon – Wednesday, Dec. 16 – that Josh Hood, a teacher and head football coach at Park Hill High School, held a press conference about sexual allegations made by a former student from his time working in another school district.
“Early this evening, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office shared with us that they are bringing several charges against him related to these sexual allegations from 2003 and 2004.
“We take any possible harm to students extremely seriously, so when we found out about these allegations this afternoon, the district immediately placed him on administrative leave.
“We are not aware of any reports or allegations about Josh Hood of any kind of similar misconduct here in the Park Hill School District. He has been in Park Hill since 2013.”
The Holden R-3 School District said in a statement that it accepted Hood’s resignation on June 14, 2004.
“Joshua Hood was employed by the district during the 2003-04 school year,” the district’s statement said, according to KMBC-TV. “The board accepted his resignation on June 14, 2004. The district was surprised to learn of the allegations and will cooperate fully with authorities as they investigate this matter.”