Posted on: Friday, December 14, 2001

Teacher indicted in sex assault on girl, 14

Associated Press

An O'ahu grand jury returned a six-count indictment yesterday against a public school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student.

The girl said she was sexually assaulted by Gabriel Kealoha, 28, on Sunday, May 27, when she accompanied him to his classroom at Wahiawa Middle School, according to court documents.

Vice principal Tim Bollinger said that although it isn't unusual for teachers to be at the school on a weekend, it is unusual for them to be with students.

Kealoha was placed on paid administrative leave about three weeks ago when the school was notified of the police investigation, Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen said.

In 1999, the DOE agreed to pay more than $400,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by five girls who said they were sexually harassed and touched, threatened and intimidated by Wahiawa Middle School music teacher Kurt Sewake.

Sewake resigned his job but the lawsuit said the DOE did not take strong enough action against him.