Kamehameha student arrested on sex assault
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
A 15-year-old student at Kamehameha Schools was arrested yesterday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl on the Kapalama campus over an eight-month period, the third allegation of sexual misconduct at the school in a week.
School officials said in a press release that yesterday's arrest was a police matter and that it would be "inappropriate to comment while the investigation is under way." But the press release did address two other allegations that have rocked the campus.
The school said it was "deeply disturbed by the suggestion of widespread sexual misconduct on campus. The kinds of behavior that have been alleged in the last week are not condoned and are not tolerated at Kamehameha Schools."
Officials said they will take disciplinary action against "a number of students" involved in the alleged videotaping of a sexual episode involving six football players and at least one female student. Officials said they began their own investigation once they became aware of the alleged incident last week.
"There were a number of students involved, and there were different versions of what actually occurred," the school said in its statement. "Our investigation lasted a week and will result in disciplinary action."
The school did not say what the investigation uncovered or what disciplinary action will be taken. Earlier this week, however, the school acknowledged that the students under investigation were placed on "administrative leave," meaning they were not attending classes, but were receiving assignments.
On Tuesday, a former Kamehameha student and her mother filed a federal lawsuit against the school claiming that the girl was sexually assaulted and sexually harassed by a male classmate during a five-year period beginning in 1998. The lawsuit alleged that the assaults were made by a football player, who was expelled from the school before the 2002 school year.
The attorney for the girl said the lawsuit was filed as a result of the report involving the videotaped sex acts.
School officials last night said the lawsuit "contained many untruths and is a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the allegations that came to light last week."
In the latest allegation, a 14-year-old girl told police that she was sexually assaulted over an eight-month period by a classmate at the school. The girl told police that the incidents occurred during school hours at various locations on campus.
Police yesterday afternoon arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the case. He was booked on two counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault, and released pending further investigation.
In response to the allegations, school officials said last night that they are forming a "team of experts" to review the schools' sexual harassment policies and "identify additional actions we can take to encourage and influence healthy, appropriate, respectful attitudes, relationships and behaviors."
Efforts to reach Kamehameha Schools for further comment late last night were unsuccessful.
Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.
