Alleged child molester also worked at East Central day care

A child care center volunteer accused of child molestation also worked at a center in east central Spokane. Eugene R. Wright, 64, worked at the East Central Head Start program from January until June, when he transferred to the Bigfoot Child Care Center at Spokane Community College. Wright passed a background check through the state Department of Early Learning and was paid a stipend through a Catholic Charities program that finds work for low-income elderly people, said Anne Tucker, spokeswoman for Community Colleges of Spokane. Wright moved to Bigfoot, which also is a Head Start program, because East Central doesn’t offer a summer program, Tucker said. Wright was dismissed in mid-August when a 5-year-old girl said he’d sexually abused her. Police arrested him Monday on charges of first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation and say he admitted to inappropriately touching other children at Bigfoot. Wright remains in Spokane County Jail on $50,000 bail. The girl said the abuse occurred while Wright - who she called “Teacher Grandpa” - was alone with her during nap time and other teachers were out of the room. The state Department of Early Learning is investigating, said spokeswoman Amy Blondin. Both centers remain open.