Park Hill PE teacher accused of assault, making sexual comments to students
A Kansas City area physical education teacher that coached middle school basketball and high school football is charged with assault after allegedly making sexual advances to middle school girls, court records show.
Isaiah Christopher Washington, 39, was charged Thursday in Platte County Circuit Court with three counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. At least seven students at a Park Hill School District middle school described uncomfortable interactions with Washington to Platte County Sheriff’s Office detectives, court records show.
Park Hill School District officials notified the sheriff’s office on May 21 that they heard several reports from students concerning Washington’s comments and behavior, according to a probable cause statement filed in Platte County Circuit Court.
All seven victims experienced crude, sexually suggestive comments from Washington, according to court documents. Students allegedly said Washington asked them for hugs, and that he would become visually aroused after touching them.
School district officials placed Washington on leave once they became aware of the allegations of inappropriate behavior, Kelly Wachel, a spokesperson for Park Hill School District said in an email.
“At that time we also referred the allegations to our law enforcement partners and the Platte County Children’s Division,” Wachel said. “He remains on administrative leave as they conduct their investigation.”
According to court documents, students said Washington made the following comments: “That outfit makes your body look really good,” “I would if I could, but that would be illegal,” “If I could take you home, I would,” “You guys look really pretty today, especially in those leggings,” and “Oooh girl you look good and tight …”
One student told detectives Washington’s concerning behavior persisted throughout her time during middle school from 2023 to 2025. According to court records, she told detectives that Washington asked for hugs from her many times and she said, “I just kind of didn’t know what to do, I felt, like, trapped, and so I hugged him.”
The student pointed to the waist on a drawing of a woman to show where Washington would touch her when they hugged, detectives said in a probable cause statement.
She later told detectives, “He never touched me in, like, inappropriate ways, but he would like always find a way to touch me.”
The student also told detectives that she could visibly see that he was aroused after their hugs, according to court documents.
Washington allegedly asked for student’s phone number
Washington could not be reached for comment Saturday, and online court records do not yet list an attorney for him.
Detectives said another student alleged that between 2023 and 2025 Washington touched her, hugged her and made unwarranted comments that made her feel uncomfortable.
The student told detectives that after she finished running in gym class one day, Washington told her to put his phone number into her phone, then said, “I’m just playing, it was locked anyway.”
Students described to detectives how their interactions with Washington were uncomfortable and that they felt like they had to hug him, and feared what would happen if they didn’t.
“We don’t usually hug our teachers anyway,” one student told detectives. “We all thought it was getting weird.”
Washington’s comments to students became increasingly “cat-callish,” according to one student interviewed, detectives said.
The seventh student detectives interviewed said Washington told her in gym class that if he was her age he would date her and “scoop her up,” according to court documents.
That student described another incident where Washington had gummy bears and told the student that they had to get down and say “please” to get any. The student told detectives she believed he meant for her to get on her knees, but she didn’t do that.
One of the students confided in a trusted teacher about Washington’s behavior, which led to an investigation into his conduct, detectives said.
A Platte County deputy said in a probable cause statement that he believes Washington is a danger to the community.
“Washington exploited his position of authority and trust as an educator to harass students and caused many students to suffer emotional distress as a direct result of his actions against them,” the deputy said.
Washington coached high school, middle school sports
Washington coached middle school boys basketball in the Park Hill School District, according to a school district sports website. He also coached football at Staley High School in the North Kansas City School District, according to the school district athletics directory.
A judge signed a warrant on Thursday for Washington’s arrest and issued a $7,500 cash only bond. As of Saturday he did not appear to be in custody, according to online jail records.
This story was originally published August 17, 2025 at 8:14 AM.
