No one answered the door at Chief Washington's home Wednesday afternoon. Chief Washington, who has been employed with the school district for nearly 20 years, was placed on paid administrative leave on Monday. District administrators were told late Friday that he was the focus of an ongoing investigation by the Galveston County District Attorney's Office.
District spokesperson Denise McLean calls the move a precautionary measure.
"It's a policy the district has that while an investigation is ongoing, that person is placed on administrative leave with pay," McLean.
Though he would not tell us what Chief Washington is accused of, Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk did say that his office initiated the investigation after receiving notice of alleged criminal violations possibly involving Chief Washington.
Sistrunk told us, "The investigation began a few weeks back and remains ongoing and as such there can be no further comment at this time."
Chief Washington has been scrutinized by the DA's office before. He was placed on paid administrative leave back in 2007 after a ninth grader claimed Washington choked him before a pep rally. A grand jury reportedly declined to press charges.
A district spokesperson says a decision about Chief Washington's future with the district won't be made until there's an outcome in the DA's investigation. There is no word as to how long this particular investigation will take.
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