Cahokia school officials didn’t know of former coach’s alleged drug offenses

Cahokia Unit School District’s Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said he was shocked that a now-former high school assistant baseball coach was indicted in federal court on multiple drug trafficking offenses that allegedly took place while he was employed at the school.

Demetrius Combs, 33, is charged in the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Missouri with multiple counts related to the possession and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, such activity took place during the summer of 2023 in St. Louis County. Combs was employed as an assistant baseball coach and truancy officer at Cahokia High School during this time, McCall confirmed. Combs later resigned the following summer without explanation, McCall added.

McCall said the district had no reason to suspect Combs was trafficking drugs during his multi-year employment at the high school.

“This is the first I’ve even remotely learned of any of this,” McCall said, referring to Combs’ indictment. “It came as a shock to everyone.”

McCall said law enforcement has not reached out to the district, and that there has been no indication that Combs engaged in any illegal activity on school grounds or with students.