Curley: Washington high school shouldn’t use ‘moral compass’ on coach opening pot shop
Mar 7, 2016, 9:07 AM | Updated: 12:04 pm
Hillary Butler, who has served as assistant coach at Lakes High School the past two seasons, believes his marijuana business may have led to him being fired. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
If a high school coach decided to brew his or her own beer, would that be a fireable offense? If not, KIRO Radio’s “Tom and Curley” aren’t sure how that would be any different than a Washington coach opening a legal pot shop.
Despite a successful 2015 season, the Lakes High School football team is shaking up its coaching staff, dropping assistant head coach Hillary Butler from the group. Hillary, who played for the Lancers, the University of Washington Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks, told KIRO 7that he believes the shake-up has nothing to do with football fields, but everything to do with his new business, a soon-to-be-licensed Tier 3 cannabis producer and processor.
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He told KIRO 7 that he and his business partners will break ground on a 30,000-square-foot marijuana grow site on Monday and that his new career in legal marijuana ended his run at Lakes.
“It really hit me hard. I actually broke down and started crying,” Butler told KIRO 7.
“We made it third in the state last year after going a couple of years without even making the playoffs, so I do think I contributed to the school, and I do think that I still can.”
The Clover Park School District’s director of community relations, Kimberly Prentice, gave no specific reason for Butler’s termination but released the following statement:
“All Clover Park School District coaching contracts are non-continuing, meaning they are season to season. Coaching adjustments are made regularly, depending on the needs of the team and best interest of student-athletes.”
KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney and John Curley believe that because marijuana is legal in the state — just as brewing beer — that the district shouldn’t be making their decision based on this side job.
Tom Tangney: “It’s a legal business and as long as he’s not selling it to the kids, then it seems to be that it shouldn’t be a factor in the school’s decision.”
John Curley: “If it’s legal in Washington, you can’t have some sort of moral compass for determining certain things are legal, but there’s a gray area. There’s no gray area. The law says under the age of 21 you can’t purchase the intoxicant of marijuana. The guy can legally grow it now, he’s got a business, you shouldn’t get rid of him for being a coach.”
TT: “We still don’t know if the school did that, but that’s his suspicion, and if the school did and admitted it, he might have a case.”
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.
